Surrey babies (6,000 a year) benefit from sold-out ‘Journey’ gala Feb. 28
Published 11:00 am Monday, February 16, 2026
The final night of February brings another Celebration of Care Gala in Surrey, this time in support of the most needy of close to 6,000 babies born at Surrey Memorial Hospital each year.
A “Journey” party theme is planned Feb. 28 at Aria Banquet and Conference Centre during Surrey Hospitals Foundation’s 9th annual gala, a sold-out night of fun and fundraising for close to 500.
The 2026 red-carpet event will be emceed by TV meteorologist Mark Madryga and Dr. Kirsten Niles, regional head of obstetrics at Fraser Health, with live auction by Fred Lee, music by Destineak, whiskey tasting lounge and more.
Gala sponsors and guests “play a direct role in elevating care for mothers, newborns and families at the very beginning of life,” says a post on surreyhospitalsfoundation.com.
No fundraising goal is announced, and gala tickets were not sold publicly this year.
Last year’s ‘Midnight at the Ballet’ gala raised $1.7 million for cardiac care.
Surrey Memorial Hospital delivers more babies than any other general hospital in the Lower Mainland, the website notes — 6,030 in 2025. SMH is a regional centre for high-risk pregnancies, with referrals from across the province, and one in 10 newborns require NICU care.
Funds raised at the gala will support the Women, Children & Youth Pillar of Care, “expanding the wraparound care that helps parents, newborns, and families begin their journeys with confidence and support” at the hospital’s Mata Tripta Family Birthing Unit, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and research in maternal-fetal health.
Presented by Ellis Don and Berezan, the 2026 gala is planned by a committee of Jennifer Hochstein (Wellington-Altus, chair), Rita Chohan (Elegant Home Design), Tamara Huculak (Richards Buell Sutton LLP), Shannon Mann (Macdonald Realty Ltd.), Sheena Sidhu (Yard at a Time Concrete Ltd.) and Kiran Sangha (Crystal Consulting Group).
Email gala@surreyhospitalsfoundation.com with sponship questions.