Photo: CYAC

The Tenors performed at Once in a Blue Moon on July 11, 2024.

A pair of Kelowna events are up for national awards based on how they were organized.

Child & Youth Advocacy Centre’s Once in a Blue Moon and KGH Foundation’s Heart of Gold Gala are finalists for the same honour at the 2025 Canadian Event Awards, which are held annually to celebrate excellence in live events.

Both are finalists in the Best Large-Scale Fundraising Event category, which is one of 48 awards that will be handed out during the Canadian Event Awards on April 30 in Toronto.

The Heart of Gold Gala, presented by the Thomas Alan Budd Foundation, took place in September 2024 at Kelowna Flightcraft Centre for Excellence. It attracted 211 guests and $2.07 million was raised to advance surgical oncology at Kelowna General Hospital. It is the third national nomination for Heart of Gold, which took home the award in 2022.

The CYAC’s Once in a Blue Moon, presented by RBC Dominion Securities’ Rhonda Hymers, was held at O’Rourke Family Estate Winery in July 2024 after being postponed due to the wildfires of 2023. The fundraiser brought together 340 guests who raised $2.5 million for vulnerable children, youth and families in the community.

“This recognition isn’t just about our organizations—it’s a powerful reflection of the heart and spirit of our community,” KGH Foundation CEO Allison Young said in a press release. “Having two events from Kelowna honoured on a national stage in the same year speaks volumes about the generosity of the people who live here. The real winner here is our supporters and community.”

There are three other nominations in the Best Large-Scale Fundraising Event category for fundraisers held in Toronto, Calgary and Montreal.