The Women’s Health Research Foundation of Canada Inc (WHRFC), dedicated to improving women’s health through research, education and raising awareness, held its third successful Dance For Your Health (DFYH) fundraising gala this time at the Charisma of India Restaurant on Wednesday March 22, 2017.
The aroma of Indian spices invited guests through the door. Chrissy Troy from 103.1 Virgin Radio opened the evening with her boundless enthusiasm. President Dr. Lynn Scruby introduced the Foundation and welcomed everyone to join in the evening of fun and fitness. Elizabeth Wall-Wieler and Anisa Isse last years winners respectively of the WHRFC scholarships for full-time and part-time graduate students doing research on women’s health at the University of Manitoba reminded us of why we need to raise funds for women’s health research. Elizabeth, a PhD student in Community Health Sciences, her supervisor, Dr. Leslie Roos, told us about her project “The Maternal Responses to Having a Child Taken Into Care”. Anisa, an MSc student in Nursing, her supervisor, Dr. Lynn Scruby spoke about her project “How the Health of Newcomer Somali Women is Impacted by Canada’s Refugee Categories”. A delicious multicourse East Indian buffet accompanied by wine was enjoyed by all. After dinner the Bollywood Sisters Aman and Harman Kaur entertained with a classical Indian dance number. Asra swirled onto the dance floor with her exotic and interactive Bellydance. The Bollywood Sisters returned to the dance floor with a lively Bollywood dance followed by a workshop were guests had the opportunity to learn and try out some Bollywood moves !

The funds raised through ticket sales, sponsorships and raffles combined with our corporate campaign and our annual target mail campaign, helped to raise over $10,000 in 2016-2017 to fund the Foundation’s activities, specifically the endowment of an annual scholarship for the best research project on women’s health by a part-time graduate student at the University of Manitoba was completed. This award helps to fill an identified funding gap for part-time graduate students. An annual scholarship for a full-time graduate student has already been fully endowed (www.whrfcinc.com). Planning for next year’s fundraising event is underway.