A September event to collect money to enhance the care of cancer patients coming to Prince George for treatment in the new cancer centre was a five-figure success.

The Evening of Pink, held Sept. 21, raised $19,418.64 for the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation

Guest speaker Wendie den Brok, a Vancouver doctor and aspiring oncologist, engaged the Civic Centre crowd with an inspiring story about her fight with triple-negative breast cancer, known as the most deadly form of the disease.

"She's been there and done that and she's very good with people and they really liked her speech," said event organizer Monica Peacock. "It was a wonderful crowd."

The seventh annual event drew about 460 people who each paid $85 to attend. A wine glass raffle for a hand-crafted twin dragon necklace worth $2,980 designed and donated by goldsmith Darrell Hubbell raised in excess of $10,700. Dr. Michelle Sutter's key was drawn to unlock the box that contained the necklace.

The money raised will be used to provide new equipment for the BC Cancer Centre for the North cancer treatment and research centre, expected to open in December.

"Everything that was collected that night from the silent auction and all the raffles goes directly to the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation and is held in trust until the doctors decide what equipment will be most effective for any kind of cancer care in our community," said Peacock.

Since 2005, the Evening of Pink has raised close to $160,000 to provide medical equipment for University Hospital of Northern B.C., including a renal cancer computer, a node probe and an endoscope.