With prizes and giveaways galore, Ottawa broadcaster Sam Laprade hosted an evening Monday that celebrated local fundraisers as more than just champions for their causes, a message reinforced by special guest and preventive health advocate Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng.

“If you’re not taking care of yourself you’re not going to be able to show up in the same way for your community,” said Dr. Kyeremanteng, head of critical care at The Ottawa Hospital. He’s a fundraiser himself, at least on a volunteer basis, as co-chair of the hospital’s $500-million Campaign to Create Tomorrow. It’s supporting the development of a game-changing new hospital campus.

Dr. K, as he’s known by many, also hosts a podcast and is the author of Prevention over Prescription.

The Celebrating Charity Rockstars event was held at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa, a venue many of the 235 attendees were seeing for the first time since its splashy grand opening last summer. The gathering was an opportunity for them to check out the Hard Rock Live venue designed for concerts and special events.

The entertainment destination partnered with Laprade and her Rogers Sports & Media show An Hour to Give, which focuses on charities and philanthropy. She organized the event as a way of recognizing and rewarding local fundraisers.

“Tonight was born out of a desire to give back,” Laprade said, noting the stress and burnout fundraisers face. “If you raise a million dollars one year, you get to raise a million and one the next.”

Ottawa fundraisers Ana Popescu (Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa Charitable Foundation), Bernie Forestell (Shepherds of Good Hope), Annie Premachuk (Ottawa Community Housing Foundation), philanthropist Linsey Sherman-Zekulin (Happy Roots private charitable foundation) and Derek deLouché (Carleton University) at the Celebrating Charity Rockstars event held at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Hard Rock’s Ottawa president, Christine Crump, said she was happy to be a partner in an event for those working in the charitable sector. “Serving the community is not always easy, and sometimes a little lonely, but what you do is important and, when you reflect, often quite rewarding.”

Dr. Kyeremanteng discussed health and wellness with Laprade while sitting not in chairs, but on Hard Rock thrones fit for rockstars.

He shared how patients of all ages end up in acute care, with heart attacks or strokes, infections and other illnesses, leading to a heavy mental, emotional, physical and financial toll on them and their loved ones. “That preventative lens is so important,” he said, emphasizing the need to take action when a doctor recommends a cancer screening or lifestyle change, such as weight loss. “It will make a difference. It can change the trajectory of your life, and you’ll inspire those around you. I’ll be preaching until my last days: ‘prevention over prescription.’”

The good doctor encouraged fundraisers to recognize when it’s time to slow down, say no, or step away briefly. “That way, you’re that much more restored when it’s time to shine,” he said, acknowledging it’s easier said than done because “a lot of us are go-getters.”

Leaders, he added, must “be the change, be the example” when it comes to health and wellness. “You set the standard because this is a long game,” said Dr. Kyeremanteng, drawing on his experience with doctors who work long hours even when it’s not best for them or their patients.

Sam Laprade, host of An Hour to Give on Rogers TV Ottawa and Country 101.1 radio, in a live interview with Ottawa physician Kwadwo Kyeremanteng during the Celebrating Charity Rockstars event held in partnership with Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa. Photo by Caroline Phillips

The physician also stressed the benefits of exercise, adequate protein, sleep and stress management. The topic of menopause also came up, as it so often does when women outnumber the men in the room.

Dr. Kyeremanteng described his involvement with The Ottawa Hospital Foundation as “an absolute blessing” for giving him a deeper understanding of how generous local residents are and how hard fundraisers work.

“Keep doing what you’re doing but take care of yourselves,” he told the room.

Attendees could win one of 25 donated prizes worth nearly a total of $20,000. Winners punched covered holes on a board, just like on the U.S. game show The Price Is Right (except, instead of Barker’s Beauties, there were cheerleaders from the Ottawa Redblacks).

What a coincidence that Ana Popescu, digital fundraising coordinator at YSB Foundation, won two tickets to this year’s AFP Ottawa philanthropy awards. She’s co-chairing the event this year.

It was a rare spotlight moment for photographer Lindsey Gibeau, who typically works behind the scenes. She had donated a photography package and ended up winning a prize that included a gift card to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ottawa’s social enterprise thrift store, Thrive.

Matt Harris, manager of philanthropy at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation, punched the hole that scored him a trip to Toronto for Canada’s Fundraising Conference this spring.

Winners also included Jim Perkins, founder of the Capital City Condors hockey club for kids with disabilities. He took home a gift card to one of Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa’s ReStore locations, which offers building supplies and furnishings through its social enterprise. His package included a firefighter fundraising calendar, with the opportunity to have it signed for the missus by Mr. January.

But it wasn’t the prizes that packed the room. The draw to attend came down to one person: Sam Laprade.

“Sam is a community builder and a local gem,” Adrienne Vienneau, executive director of Christie Lake Kids, later told CiTC. “She is the reason we’re all here today; when Sam calls, you know something great is about to happen.”

Susan Ingram, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ottawa, wincing with anticipation as she reaches into the punchboard for her prize. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Former fundraiser Deirdre Freiheit, now vice president and executive coach with Pourquoi Pas Coaching, with her son, Owen Freiheit, interim executive director of Causeway Work Centre, a local charity that helps people with mental illness and other challenges find employment and live more independently. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Sam Laprade, host of An Hour to Give on Rogers TV Ottawa and Country 101.1 radio, in a live interview with Ottawa physician Kwadwo Kyeremanteng during the Celebrating Charity Rockstars event held in partnership with Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Shepherds of Good Hope (SGH) Foundation interim CEO Meighan Hartley with one of her board members, Yasser Ghazi from RBC, and Emma Bernans, senior manager of philanthropy at SGH Foundation, at the Celebrating Charity Rockstars event held at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Ottawa photographer Lindsey Gibeau, who donated one of the 25 prizes, also won a prize herself at the Celebrating Charity Rockstars event at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Representing the healthcare sector were, from left, CHEO Foundation CEO Steve Read, Almonte Hospital Foundation executive director Vaia Dimas, The Ottawa Hospital Foundation’s chief development officer, Jennifer Van Noort, and Delphine Haslé, executive director and chief development officer at Perley Health Foundation. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Reza Mashkoori, manager of corporate sponsorships at Christie Lake Kids (CLK), CLK executive director Adrienne Vienneau, and Michelle Crogie, executive director of Pleo — Family Peer Support, hold up their copies of Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng’s Prevention over Prescription. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Shelley McLean, development officer for philanthropy at The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, gives two thumbs up after winning a prize from the punchboard. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Some 235 fundraisers and supporters of the charitable sector attended the Celebrating Charity Rockstars event held at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa on Monday, January 19, 2026. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From the United Way East Ontario team, from left, senior manager of strategic partnerships Lorena Costa, president and CEO Rachael Wilson, manager of  donor relations Lyndsi McMillan and Mark Taylor, vice president of resource development, at the Celebrating Charity Rockstars event at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Charity power couple Alison Telford, operations manager at Daybreak Housing, and BGC Ottawa CEO Adam Joiner have been married 20 years, having first met in the social work program at Algonquin College. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Sam Laprade, host of An Hour to Give on Rogers TV Ottawa and Country 101.1 radio, in a live interview with Ottawa physician Kwadwo Kyeremanteng during the Celebrating Charity Rockstars event held in partnership with Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Matt Harris from the University of Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation makes his way to the stage to punch a hole in the punchboard game and win a prize. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Kathryn Leroux, manager of media, marketing and communications at the Distress Centre of Ottawa & Region, walks on stage with her arms wide open, ready to embrace event host Sam Laprade, before punching the punchboard and winning her prize. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng, author of Prevention over Prescription, which was generously provided to attendees of Celebrating Charity Rockstars by OTUS Financial Solutions, represented by CEO Cherry Chan, left, and chief of staff Lynn Ladd. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Ana Popescu, digital fundraising coordinator at Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa Charitable Foundation, with Lois Graveline, founder and CEO of Harmonia Philanthropy, at the Celebrating Charity Rockstars event at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Some 235 fundraisers and supporters of the charitable sector attended the Celebrating Charity Rockstars event held at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa on Monday, January 19, 2026. Photo by Caroline Phillips

This article is made possible through sponsorship from Star Motors, WCPD, Marilyn Wilson Dream Properties, ExecHealth, Infinity Convention Centre, Altis Recruitment, Bell Canada, First Avenue Investment Counsel, RBC, Welch LLP, Brazeau Seller Law.

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