Members of the Scarborough community came together on Tuesday, November 5, 2020 for the seventh-annual Sip, Shop and Celebrate Women event in support of Scarborough Health Network. Held virtually live on Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was dubbed the “Girls Night In” edition. Despite the unique challenges, over 200 guests joined in for this year’s event, raising $60,000 towards SHN’s areas of greatest need.

“We are incredibly thankful to the community for continuing to come together in support of our hospitals, even with the event going virtual this year,” said Alicia Vandermeer, President & CEO of SHN Foundation. “It’s amazing to see the community’s unwavering commitment to our cause, even in these difficult circumstances, and we are inspired by the generous group of volunteers who led this event to its eventual success. It was an amazing turnout, and the funds will make an immense difference on the health and wellbeing of our Scarborough community.”

Organized by SHN Foundation and the Scarborough Women of Philanthropy Council (SWOP), the annual fundraiser is the SWOP Council’s signature event for Scarborough women. Hosted by television personality Liz West, guests had the opportunity to network from a distance and participate in exciting live demos from popular local vendors, all while bidding on a wide selection of silent auction items. This year, guests heard from surprise guest speakers such as Mayor John Tory and Premier Doug Ford, who left messages to the attendees thanking them for their support of Scarborough’s hospitals.

Dr. Reena Lovinsky, medical director of infection control and infectious disease specialist at SHN, also spoke during the virtual call to share updates on SHN’s approach to the COVID-19 pandemic and express her gratitude to the attendees.

“We want to make sure everyone in our community stays safe as we continue to deliver care during these challenging times,” said Dr. Lovinsky. “It’s through the support of our community and the people in this meeting tonight that we’re able to deliver the kind of exceptional health care that Scarborough needs and deserves. By attending tonight’s event, you are doing your part to help our frontline staff and our patients.”

A special thank you goes out to our sponsors for helping to make this event possible:

• International Group ($15,000)
• Automatic Coating ($5,000)
• Leland Industries (5,000)
• RBC ($3,500)

View the tweets below to see an exciting breakdown of the night's events!