folioyvr, helen siwak, canfar, christie garofalo, aleem kassem, vancouver, bc, west coast luxury, luxury lifestyle, vancouver

Vancouver Entertains Returns to Champion BC’s HIV Response

Vancouver Entertains, presented by RBC Foundation, returns for an unmissable evening that brings Vancouver’s philanthropic, culinary and fashion communities together in support of the HIV response across British Columbia. Every dollar raised stays in the province, fuelling community-led HIV programs and implementation research delivered through established local partners.

The need is pressing. Nearly 9,500 people in BC are living with HIV, and new diagnoses have begun to rise again. As funding grows increasingly constrained, community organizations continue to deliver essential prevention, education, testing, treatment and support, particularly for those facing the greatest barriers to care. Vancouver Entertains exists to meet that need head-on, and this year’s edition promises to be its biggest and boldest yet.

Photo by Todd Duncan Studios

Eight Distinctive Dining Experiences

Guests will be hosted at one of eight bespoke dinners, each staged at a coveted Vancouver address, including TELUS Garden, Holt Renfrew, Harry Rosen, RIMOWA, Max Mara, ZEGNA, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Vancouver (OpenRoad Auto), and a special secret venue reserved for those in the know.

Each dinner will be prepared by a who’s who of the city’s top caterers, among them Savoury Chef, Kanvas Catering, Bon Vivant Catering, The Lazy Gourmet, Edge Catering and Holt’s Cafe, with cocktails flowing courtesy of Spirits Partners 1983 Espresso Martini and Empress 1908 Gin. Floral and design talent from Folk & Faerie, Simon Cooksley Event Design, Angelica Floral Designs, By Yours Truly, Our Little Flower Company, Lux Affairs, and May 18 Florals will create immersive environments, distinctively shaping the atmosphere at each address.

Photo by Todd Duncan Studios

Photo by Jay Shaw Photography

Once dinner concludes, all guests will converge on TELUS Garden for an electric shared After Party, where Canada’s Drag Race alum Hazel and Vancouver artist DESTINEAK take the stage to perform their latest release, “Spin the Barrel,” with Pizza Pizza fuelling the late-night crowd as Late Night Eats Sponsor.

Photo by Jamie-Lee Fuoco

A Coordinated Effort, A Provincial Impact

The gala is led by co-chairs Christie Garofalo and Jay McCauley, alongside CANFAR Board Member Candice Sinclair, with an events committee comprising Aleem Kassam, Alex Filiatrault, Carly Church, Chris Flak, Kevin Mazzone, Monika Deol, Rajbir Grewal, Sven Byl, and Thomas O’Shaughnessy.

Presenting sponsor RBC Foundation is joined by Oakridge Park as Photo Studio Sponsor, Christie & David Garofalo as Event Sponsors, and Vancouver Magazine and Western Living as Media Partners. Funds raised will support programs delivered through

Dr. Peter Centre, CBRC, Ribbon Community, Health Initiative for Men (HiM), Qmunity, and Kilala Lelum.

HIV is still here. So is the work.

October 16, 2026 | Vancouver, BC
Dinner tickets: Sold out | Waitlist available
After Party tickets: Available now

[Header image by Photos by Todd Duncan Studios)

Author Profile

Helen Siwak, Luxury Lifestyle Observer: Helen Siwak is the founder of EcoLuxLuv Communications & Marketing Inc and publisher of Folio.YVR Luxury Lifestyle Magazine and PORTFOLIOY.YVR Business & Entrepreneurs Magazine. She is a prolific content creator, consultant, and marketing and media strategist within the ecoluxury and luxury lifestyle niches. Helen is the west coast correspondent to Canada’s top-read business magazine Retail-Insider, holds a vast freelance portfolio, and is an EIC for Hire. Connect with her here: [email protected].