Last Saturday night saw a well heeled crowd of the city’s best dressed arrive in droves at one of Vancouver’s best rooftop patios to raise funds for the Canucks Autism Network. The setting for the event? None other than one of our favourite spots to park it after a long day: Reflections at Rosewood Hotel Georgia.

After being whisked up to the private patio area and welcomed to the soiree, guests were invited to partake in an auction hosted by Ritchie Bros Auctioneers (which included a Milano Fashion Week Experience) as they meandered their way through the patio’s oasis of cool.

The party (which raised $800K for the cause) featured plenty of reasons to let loose with a pop-up concert courtesy of Canadian rock legend Tom Cochrane, who got the crowd moving. Free flowing cocktails, expertly mixed by the hotel’s award-winning mixologists, fueled things along, as did an array of appetizers that arrived courtesy of Reflections own culinary team.

And, what’s a Canucks’ charity event without a few NHL players thrown into the mix? This party had no shortage of these sports celebs. Guests mingled with Stanley Cup winner Willie Mitchell, Canucks Dan Hamhuis and Ryan Stanton, as well as the new Canucks’ dream team of head coach Willie Desjardins and GM Jim Benning.

The event marks the official kick-off of the ninth annual Fishing for Kids tournament, which takes place at The West Coast Fishing Club until today and is a charity event that has raised over $5 million dollars for children’s charities (with $1.7 million raised at last year’s tournament alone).

The Fishing for Kids Tournament has fast become the premier fishing tournament in the Pacific Northwest and has garnered some big name support and participants who vie for a spot as part of the group that heads to Haida Gwaii. All funds raised help over 1,000 families in 55 communities throughout the province, enhancing the quality of life for children and young people living with autism.