Ateneo Alumni Raises Over $10,000 in Gross Sales at Christmas Event

By Gigi Grey-Ricarse, Ateneo Alumni Association of British Columbia

All the event attendees gathered for a group photo (Supplied Photo)

On a chilly Saturday evening of November 23, 2024, the Ellington Ballroom of The Hilton Hotel near Vancouver Airport became the place where the Ateneo Ignatian spirit converged for its annual Christmas event. 

Dubbed “Not So Blue Christmas,” the event was organized by the Board of Directors and members of The Ateneo Alumni Association of British Columbia (AAABC) with the goal of raising funds for deserving scholars currently studying at different Ateneo campuses in the Philippines. 

The event was a resounding success, with over 200 attendees filling up the entire ballroom. The AAABC family and its supporters raised over $ 10,000 in gross sales, with event ticket sales selling out within weeks of releasing to the public.

The theme for the night was blue and white, in congruence with the school’s signature colors. An email blast from a week prior asked registered attendees to dress in smart casual attires. At 5:30 PM, volunteers at the registration table eagerly awaited for their arrival. Soon enough, attendees were coming in droves, mostly arm-in-arm as a couple, as volunteer ushers guided them towards their pre-assigned seats inside the ballroom. 

Attendees began hopping from one table to the next as familiar faces abound, taking selfies and having lighthearted conversations with each other in the process. The atmosphere was vibrant, filled with laughter and anticipation for the evening ahead. 

The Masters of Ceremony (MCs) for the evening were Lit Onrubia, creatively showing everyone who’s the “Captain” of the event, and Heidi Ng, donning a demure blue and white ensemble. After a quick introduction, they called on Alex Imperial, AAABC Vice President, on stage for the land acknowledgement. The formal program commenced with the welcome speech of AAABC President, Robert “Bob” Afan as he expressed gratitude to the attendees for coming, and thanked business owners and community leaders for their financial support. Bob also recognized the efforts of the AAABC board of directors and volunteers who worked extremely hard to plan and organize the alumni’s annual Christmas celebration. 

Mr. Alex Imperial, Vice President, AAABC 2024-2025 (Supplied Photo)

A little after 8 PM, when all the attendees have had their dinner, Guillermo Francisco, fondly known as “GG” in the Ateneo community, was asked by the MCs to come up on stage to speak about the AAABC Scholarship Foundation. He started by giving an introduction of the foundation’s origin and how, through AAABC president Cecile Carpio’s efforts back in 1999, generated funds for visiting performers of a musical led by Fr. James Reuter, SJ and for the AAABC. “The board found themselves with funds, not knowing what to do with it. Eventually, during the administration of Tony Pena in 1999, the discernment was to give back to our Alma Mater by way of supporting the school’s scholarship endeavors” Francisco stated. 

He shared inspiring stories of Ateneo scholars whose lives have been positively impacted by the foundation’s initiatives. “Very recently, we had our scholar, Leona Lao come and visit Vancouver, on her own dime. She finished Magna Cum Laude in Computer Science in 2016. She gave us an update on her life and career and how she volunteered to help the youth in the Barangay by teaching them computer coding. She came to thank us for our past support, not only for her but also for the other scholars, whose lives we have all changed through our program,” Francisco said. 

Mr. GG Francisco, head of the Ateneo Scholarship Fund (Supplied Photo)

After GG Francisco’s inspiring speech, the MCs called on last year’s AAABC president Ricky Cruz to turn over the funds they have raised, written on a cheque for $ 2,801.75, to Bob Afan. It was not just a monetary transfer, but a symbolic torch being passed on to the new AAABC board of directors so they could run another productive and successful year for the AAABC scholarship foundation. 

Next, the MCs spoke about the 60-Day Walking Challenge held in the fourth quarter of 2024, a first of its kind, lead by Lit Onrubia. The Walking Challenge was participated by a total of 33 alumni, formed into 6 teams of 5-7 people, who walked over 4,600 kms in different trails around Metro Vancouver. The group who called themselves “Game of Groans”, took the win for walking over 1,700 kms. 

The first entertainment for the evening was performed by the AAABC Choir composed of 11 alumni members, with Gary Manansala taking the helm as Choir director and his son Gabe Manansala assisting on guitar. The choir sang 6 Christmas melodies, including the popular Joey Albert song “Kumukutikutitap”. A solo performance of the song “Payapang Daigdig” was rendered by Monique Carlos with some background vocals from her husband, Rusky Carlos. The AAABC choir truly heightened the Christmas spirit all over the ballroom, delighting the audience. 

Throughout the evening, over 20 raffle prizes were given away. Each attendee was given a raffle ticket upon registration and additional raffle tickets were handed out to those who heeded the call of GG Francisco to donate to the AAABC scholarship fund. AAABC treasurer Lia Dy Sun Chipeco and former AAABC president Alya Manansala went around the tables taking in donations by cash or through debit/credit card transactions. 

The raffle ticket winners were drawn by the sponsors of the event, with prizes ranging from Ateneo shirts, Lee’s Donuts gift cards, portfolio organizer, one year New York Times magazine subscription, various kitchen and home appliances, to an overnight getaway at Fairmont Hotel. With the help of the event’s third host for the night, Regie Plana-Alcuaz, raffling off those prizes have energized the crowd. AAABC alum Audra Lucero-Garcia had the enviable role of giving away prizes to the lucky winners.

Thanks to the efforts of Heidi Ng and former AAABC president Madz Mercado in scouting talented musicians, entertainment for the evening was provided by the electrifying 80’s sound of the band Midlife Krisis and DJ Pocoyeno. Attendees crowded the dance floor as familiar beats from their era pumped the ballroom. The event’s floor director, Emir Khan Baustista, made sure each segment of the program flowed seamlessly. 

As the evening drew to a close, Bob Afan stated “All proceeds from this fundraising event will go toward the AAABC Scholarship fund. This helps students reach their goals and make a brighter future for themselves.” Bob added, “So let’s remember, we get what we give, so let’s give generously and give it all we’ve got.” 

Mr. Robert Afan, President, AAABC Board 2024-2025 and his wife, Mrs. Gaye Afan (Supplied Photo)

This year’s AAABC Christmas event demonstrated the Ignatian spirit of giving and celebrated the power of community engagement. As guests departed, the sense of camaraderie lingered, with many expressing their appreciation of witnessing a big, joyous and meaningful event. Indeed, the evening was a testament to what Ateneans can achieve when they come together for a mutual goal. 

For more information on how to get involved with the Ateneo Scholarship Foundation, please visit their Facebook page ‘Ateneo Vancouver’ or call AAABC President Robert Afan at 604-765-9688.