Vameesha and Mira at Vancouver Police Foundation Night Patrol Gala
How many times can you recall the specific moments you felt inspired? For me, there have been about a handful, and the night of September 16th was one of them.
Walking up the stairs, I heard the blare of soft sirens and saw the glow of red and blue hues nearby. But, this time they weren’t coming from the road adjacent to the building, rather they came from a few feet away within the four walls of the Vancouver Convention Centre. I was on my way to my first event as a Beedie Ambassador – the Vancouver Police Foundation’s Night Patrol Gala, one of Vancouver’s largest and most prestigious events.
I was ready for a night of inspiration as the Vancouver Police Foundation (VPF) honoured the work of Jim Chu and his wife, Vicki. The night started off with a cocktail reception and as my fellow Ambassador, Mira Havelock-Rice, and I walked around, we both noticed Ryan Beedie standing in the corner having a conversation with his wife, Cindy. As co-chair of the event, he was playing a large role that evening. Not only was this my first Ambassador event, this was also my first time meeting Ryan and I felt as though I was standing in the same room as a celebrity. Needless to say, nerves were at an all time high but it was great how easily the conversation flowed and how welcoming he was.
While the rest of the night proceeded with honouring the work of Jim and Vicki over their collective 65 years of service, I felt honoured to have had the opportunity to attend and spend an evening amongst some top business leaders and some of SFU’s finest faculty, including the Dean of the Beedie School of Business herself, Blaize Horner Reich. I witnessed how over 800 guests had come under one roof to show Jim and his family how much they appreciated his work as Former Chief Constable. To learn more about what he contributed to the VPD and to the community was without a doubt inspiring to me. I felt humbled in his presence as speakers listed his many accomplishments.
Close to our table were several young adults, no more than the age of 18, dressed in uniform. In the back of my mind, I wondered what they were doing here. My question would soon be answered. One of Jim’s entrepreneurial initiatives during his career was the launch of the VPD Cadet Program to help at-risk youth make healthier life choices. Established in 2014, the program had its first set of graduates and they were there that night to show the firsthand impact that the money raised from the gala was going towards.
During the short introduction video of the program, there were testimonials from many of the participants but there was one that stayed with me: “If it wasn’t for you and this program, I don’t know where I would be today,” one said, as he held back tears; I had goose bumps. The power of his words made it crystal clear to me that he had benefited greatly from this program and he felt forever indebted to Mr. Chu.
It was then I knew what one person could accomplish for the community and how much just one person’s actions could affect a huge number of people. I realized that all 800 guests around me were similarly touched, as many of them weren’t hesitant to reach for their pockets and donate any amount they could. The acts of one person had peaked the awareness of so many individuals and had inspired them to come together to help achieve one goal. In that moment, I felt a surge of inspiration that I had never felt in my entire academic career at Simon Fraser University. The gala raised $1.3 million. But it also raised so much more than that.
From the venue to the attendees, the guests of honour and to the cadets, I was inspired by every moment of the night. I’ve always heard that all you need is one person to make a change. That night, I witnessed it.
Vameesha is in her final year pursuing a joint major in Psychology and Business, with a concentration in Human Resource Management. Currently, she is the President for SFU’s Human Resources Students’ Association with past involvement at Enactus and she is grateful for the experiences and opportunities that Beedie has provided. Passionate about helping others, she has strived to do this in all of her endeavors throughout her academic career and hopes to continue to do so as a lawyer in the future.