On August 13, 2022, we had the opportunity to host our first annual Lily Stone Gala.
A big heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this event a huge success!
We are so honoured to have had the opportunity to partner with so many generous sponsors, talented vendors and thoughtful attendees.
We are proud to announce that on October 7th, the Lily Stone team had the opportunity to visit St. Boniface Hospital’s Cardiac Centre of Excellence and present them with a cheque for $34,489.35.
This year’s Gala was a collaborative effort brought to you by Lily Stone Gardens & Cafe, Tricia Bachewich Events, Melanie Parent Events, corporate and private event sponsors, and generous donors.
THE WHY BEHIND THE GALA
Growing up on a farm, and continually being exposed to the “build something for your family” mentality it seemed like the natural thing to set similar goals for my own life and business. Lily Stone Gardens was born from a strong Ag background, but not in the traditional sense you may think of. I grew up on a cattle/grain farm. I obtained my degree in AgBusiness. Although my heart has always been in Agriculture, my passion for flowers definitely took me down a unique road. It wasn’t until after I started my own family that I realized how important it was for me to raise my kids with space for them to explore, and for them to learn a work ethic similar to what my parents taught me and my brother. Our business was born from the overwhelming respect I have for what my parents built for themselves and for my Brother and I and also an overwhelming respect for what my brother, sister in law, and boys are now building with their farm.
I am often asked, how do you keep up with this pace? Well this pace is all I have ever known. Farming and owning your own business does not stop on a rainy day, or on a Sunday afternoon because you’re tired. Farming is a lifestyle and it always takes priority. My dad was an extremely dedicated farmer. He lived for the season changes and to watch his fields grow every year.
“It is my dream to honour my parents and somehow thank them for everything they’ve taught me.”
About 10 years ago, my dad started experiencing issues with his heart. He had a pacemaker put in 2009, and was diagnosed with heart failure in 2010. This never slowed him down, even though it likely should have. My dad was a patient at the St Boniface Heart Failure Clinic since being diagnosed and in the last two or so years I had the privilege of being a larger part of this health journey with him. I helped my mom get him to appointments and decipher the incredible amount of medications he was on, and he often stayed with us between hospital stays. 2020, 2021 were extremely hard, emotional years for my dad and my family. We watched his health decline and this forced him to not seed his fields for the first time in 2020. I think that broke him more than realizing his health was not going to get better. Throughout this time my business was growing and our wedding venue had been in discussion for a number of years. I wanted my dad along for the journey of the build. I had hoped it would be something I would have of him on my own farm for the rest of my life. I had also hoped it would be a distraction from his ability to no longer farm in the way he needed to.
My dad passed away on April 28th 2021 after a really long, rough year of extensive stays in St Boniface, the Arborg hospital, and the Gimli Hospital. Covid had made that year so long and so incredibly hard on all of us. It was definitely not the last year we had hoped to experience with him. What I will say though is that throughout the process we were so very thankful for the care and help he received at St Boniface Hospital.
We are coming up on the one year anniversary of my dad’s passing and it is so surreal going forward in life without him being part of it. I think that is what bothers me the most. We are still “in it” full force. The world does not stop for a minute even when you need it to. We started construction on our wedding venue in May of 2021. There have been so many times I have found myself wishing for my dad’s knowledge.
Our building is near completion and it was built with so much love and passion from ourselves and our builders. It is my dream to honor my parents and somehow thank them for everything they’ve taught me. I’m thankful my mom is here for me to hug and thank, but my dad is not.
So here we are, planning a Gala event in his honor to give back to St. Boniface Hospital. My dad loved a really good party, and boy did he love to dance! I think he would have been just tickled to see everyone all dressed up in our space knowing that he helped create this dream.
Daughter and Owner
Lily Stone Gardens
All proceeds for the 2022 Lily Stone Gala were donated to…
