PARC DONATES $15,750 TO THE WHITE ROCK PIER

Hosted by Friends of the Pier at the newly opened Oceana PARC, Chefs for the Pier raised $15,750 to help rebuild the storm-damaged White Rock Pier. PARC Retirement Living’s owner, Rainer Müller, provided Oceana PARC’s brand-new contemporary residence as the venue, purchased over 45 tickets for the event and generously topped up the event’s fundraising total to $100,000.

The culinary star-studded evening saw 12 chefs including CBC’s Dragons’ Den star Vikram Vij, former Top Chef Canada winner Matthew Stowe, Jan Wait (Jan’s on the Beach) and Oceana PARC’s very own Shaughn Halls serve up a variety of small plates to a few hundred community-minded diners. At $300 a ticket, all proceeds went towards funding the rebuild. For their generous donation, each guest was treated to a night of fine food and wine in Oceana PARC’s freshly unveiled coastal-décor-themed dining rooms and lounge.

“Our 12 participating chefs went all out to make Chefs for the Pier a tremendous success,” says award-winning chef Vij, owner of My Shanti in South Surrey. “Hosting the evening at Oceana PARC made Chefs for the Pier one of the most unique events ever staged in White Rock, and the entire team at Oceana PARC made our chefs feel incredibly welcome. We raised $100,000, but we also brought the community together to celebrate our diversity and so many incredible ingredients right from our own backyard.”

Echoing that sentiment is Matthew Stowe, executive director of culinary at the Joey Restaurant Group. “Being able to showcase some of our region’s top chefs at the Chefs for the Pier fundraiser reminded me just how lucky we are to live here,” he says. “Chef Shaughn Halls and his team at Oceana PARC really went out of their way to pull all of us together and turn the night into an incredible success for the White Rock Pier.”

Officially re-opened to the public on August 27, White Rock’s iconic wooden pier was severely damaged during a 2018 winter storm. Estimated to cost $16 million, ongoing repairs include fortifying the 104-year-old structure to withstand future storms. Friends of the Pier hopes to fill the $2 million remaining shortfall after government contributions have been accounted for.

At PARC, supporting neighbourhood causes has always gone hand in hand with operating its independent living properties. As such, the company takes pride in giving back to and connecting with each of its five retirement residence communities.
With Oceana PARC just a short walk away from the White Rock Pier, PARC eagerly stepped up to host the chef charity dinner and donate all proceeds to the pier’s rebuild.

“Oceana PARC was a wonderful venue for our Chefs for the Pier evening, and all of us at Friends of the Pier appreciate their support and generosity,” says Ritu Khanna, executive director of the South Surrey & White Rock Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Friends of the Pier organizing committee. “Our entire community is behind the rebuilding of the iconic White Rock Pier, and support from local businesses such as Oceana PARC only reinforces how important the pier is to our city and the entire region.”

“Contributing to a community’s well-being is a big factor behind PARC’s preference to build in vibrant neighbourhoods in the first place,” says Tony Baena, PARC Retirement Living’s president and CEO, and a member of Friends of the Pier. “PARC’s involvement in a community extends well beyond operating our residences. Rather, we seek out opportunities to help strengthen and support our neighbourhoods – to improve not only the lives of seniors but of all generations. The White Rock Pier has been enjoyed by locals and visitors for decades, and we’re happy to help make sure it continues to delight for decades to come.”

Embracing local culture, history and nature is also important to PARC. For example, Oceana PARC’s suites and amenity rooms are graced with such names as the Salish Sea Dining Room and Semiahmoo Family Room, while works by renowned marine life artist Robert Wyland line the walls.

Learn more about the new Oceana PARC at the open house.

When: 1 – 4 p.m.; October 26 and 27, 2019
Where: 1575 George St., White Rock, B.C.
RSVP by calling 778-294-1115 before Friday, October 22.

For more information:

Anna Louie
Director of Marketing
PARC Retirement Living
alouie@parcliving.ca
604-408-5811