January 24, 2011

Let the bragging begin

For Immediate Release

Let the bragging begin: votes in for 2010 Gingerbread Showcase

Jan. 24, 2011, Victoria, BC - The votes are counted and the donations are tallied for this year's second-annual Great Gingerbread Showcase fundraiser at the Inn at Laurel Point.

More than 30 gingerbread masterpieces were on display at the Inn at Laurel Point from Nov. 26, 2010 to Jan. 2, 2011. Submissions ranged from an elaborate, five-storey Harrods department store (Muze Creative) to a working, Madagascar-inspired carousel (Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort Hotel and Spa).

Winners in the professional, corporate and amateur categories were chosen by Jeff Bell of the Times Colonist, Ed Bain of CHEK TV and 100.3 The Q and Norman Gidney of Douglas. Then members of the public got their say and picked the winners in the People's Choice category by exchanging a vote for a donation to Habitat for Humanity Victoria.

"This year, donations from the People's Choice category were nearly $5,000 - a great win for us and the hard-working families we work with," said Yolanda Meijer, executive director of Habitat for Humanity Victoria. "Each year, we seek to build at least two new Habitat homes in the region and the funds raised through this event go straight into our construction efforts."

Results for the 2010 Gingerbread Showcase:

§ First place - Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub (professional category and people's choice category); Gordon Head Middle School and Victoria Women's Sexual Assault Centre (tie, amateur category); and Muze Creative (corporate category).

§ Second place - O Bistro Oswego (professional category); Boulevard Transportation Group (amateur category); Shane King Realty (corporate category); and Sooke Harbour House (people's choice category).

§ Third place - Melanie Lonsdale (professional category); Costco (amateur category); Canadian Home Builders' Association Victoria (corporate category); and Muze Creative (people's choice award).

"We're proud to host this event and help Habitat for Humanity Victoria, a cause that does such tremendous work in our community," said Ian Powell, managing director of the Inn at Laurel Point. "Every year the competition gets tougher - I can only imagine what 2011 will bring."

This year's Gingerbread Showcase was presented in partnership with CHEK.

About the Inn at Laurel Point:
The Inn at Laurel Point is an elegant, Pacific Rim-inspired waterfront hotel located downtown on Victoria's Inner Harbour. It was the first carbon-neutral hotel in BC and, in 2007, Condé Nast Traveler rated the Inn as one of the top 25 hotels in Canada. For more information about the Inn at Laurel Point, visit www.laurelpoint.com.

About Habitat for Humanity Victoria:
Habitat for Humanity Victoria works in conjunction with Habitat organizations from around the globe to create a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live. We believe in housing for all, human dignity, partnership, diversity and inclusiveness. We work to achieve these objectives by mobilizing volunteers and community partners to help build affordable homes for purchase by local hard-working, low-income families. For more information, visit www.habitatvictoria.com.

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Media contacts:
Melaina Haas, Tartan Group: 250-592-3838, 250-891-3326 (cell) or melaina@tartangroup.ca
Avril Matthews, Inn at Laurel Point: 250-414-6731 or avril.matthews@laurelpoint.com

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