It’s not often that University of Alberta (U of A) medical students have a chance to dress up and step outside the classroom for a night of celebration.

Rarer still is a chance to raise money while enjoying that celebration. But each fall for the past six years, the Affair of the Heart gala has given medical students a chance to come together for an evening of festivity while raising funds to support the community.

“Obviously, our main goal is to fund raise,” explains Sean Goos, a second-year medical student who helped organize the most recent event. “But it’s also a great way to get students together to celebrate and enjoy ourselves.”

This past year’s event took place at the Fantasyland Hotel in West Edmonton Mall.

In addition to a silent auction and dance, the event featured student musicians, a fashion show and balloon pop. In total, the event raised almost $8,000 for the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation. The funds raised by the event are used to support a different charity each year.

“Everything was donated by the community,” notes Goos, who explains that students go out and ask for donations directly.

“We also had sponsors like IBM who purchased tables or made other donations.” More than 200 people attended, including several physicians and faculty members.

Although Goos will hand over the reins to the next second-year class, the event remains close to his heart. “They can make it their own, but the goal will stay the same.”

And Goos intends to find ways to stay involved in volunteer work in the community. “It’s important to give back to the community that gave you the opportunity to be where you are. No matter how stressful things get, you can always make time for things that matter.”