Community of Scholars Awards Dinner | Zed Events

The 10th Annual Community of Scholars Awards Dinner, hosted by the Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation, was held on April 21, 2010 at the Cunard Centre in Halifax. From the moment guests arrived, an underwater theme was evident at every glance. Event staff were given the full hair and makeup treatment to look like underwater mermaids, minus the tail! Referred to as ‘Marinas’, staff directed guests through the welcome reception and later through the sparkling ‘waterfall’ transition wall, to the main dinner area.

 

Guests enjoyed a delicious dinner, followed by a themed dessert created for the event. The individual-sized cake was meant to represent a birthday cake, but it was accented with turquoise-coloured coconut. The birthday was that of the Molly Appeal – started in 1980 by Molly Moore, a woman of modest means who donated five dollars in support of medical research. This “drop in the bucket” transformed from a trickle to a waterfall of donations and support, and 30 years later, the program is still going strong. Her donation inspired the theme for the evening, of water, life and continued growth.

 

A keynote speaker provided an upbeat and humorous approach to the progress made in the scholar community, and awards were given from the podium in an Oscar-like fashion, complete with live stings from a jazz quintet. Raffle tickets were also sold throughout the evening – the funds generated a significant amount for a scholarship for student research.  The evening created a positive buzz within the medical community, and achieved the Foundation’s objectives of recognizing the award winners while also profiling the historical achievement of Molly’s initial donation.