It’s a jungle up there. Up there being the Roundhouse Lodge, during the Feb. 13 Roundhouse Gala Dinner and Dance, part of the BC Tel Mobility Winter Classic. This year’s gala event features several new twists. For starters it’s in the Roundhouse Lodge on Whistler, rather than the Rendezvous on Blackcomb. Jungle is the theme for this year’s dinner and dance, and it will kick in the moment guests board the village gondola, where they will be served tropical jungle cocktails and hors d’oeuvres for the ride up. There will be live birds in the Roundhouse, bongo drumming and perhaps even a head shrinker. One of the most intriguing new twists may be the competition among chefs. There will be numerous food stations around the Roundhouse Lodge for the evening, part of the famous grazing buffet which includes rack of lamb, chocolate-dipped strawberries, fresh oysters and jungle-inspired cuisine. But this year the chefs and sous chefs from both Whistler and Blackcomb will be competing head-to-head in the kitchen. Their efforts will be judged by senior staff from Whistler-Blackcomb. As usual, there will be a huge variety of items to bid on — 175 in the silent auction alone. "We’ve got tons of ski and snowboard gear and wear," says Corrine Allison, acting executive director of the foundation. "We’ve got golf trips to Panorama, a complete package for your dog, a High Alpine Adventure which includes a night in the yurts." Some of the most interesting auction items include a winemakers dinner for 40 at the Bear Foot Bistro, a fishing trip to Rivers Inlet and Monk’s Macho Mania Night, at Monk’s Grill. The band Wall Street will provide tunes for the evening. "It’s high end dining and entertainment, but in a casual Whistler style," Allison says. Tickets for the Gala Dinner and Dance are $125 each and available from Horstman Trading Co. or by calling 932-6102. A tax receipt will be issued for half of the ticket price. The night before the dinner and dance the Chateau Whistler is hosting the third annual Evening of Fine Wines and Cheeses. Twenty-five wine agents are participating in this year’s Evening of Fine Wines and Cheeses, pouring more than 125 wines from around the world. A Chef’s Cheese Plate competition, a silent auction and music from Pete and Chad are also part of the evening. Proceeds from the Evening of Fine Wine and Cheese go to the Whistler and Blackcomb Ski and Snowboard Clubs. Tickets are $30, available from either club or from the Chateau Whistler concierge desk. The Gala Dinner and Dance and the Evening of Fine Wine and Cheeses are the two events in the BC Tel Mobility Winter Classic which are open to everyone. The other events in the two-day Winter Classic, including a guess-your-time race and a celebrity ski day, are for corporate teams. The whole weekend is a fund-raising event for the Whistler-Blackcomb Foundation, which is dedicated to the financial support of registered non-profit organizations whose activities benefit the residents of the Sea to Sky Corridor. The foundation has raised $750,000 since its inception in 1992 and last year provided grants to 27 charitable organizations, including a $400,000 commitment over two years to the Whistler Skier’s Chapel Society for a daycare facility in the new Whistler Millennium Place.
