Winter Gala brings in $18,000 for new Davidson Swimming Pool

For five partygoers at the First Annual Winter Gala held Nov. 23 at the Davidson community centre, the night took on a bit of a strange air.

Edmonton hypnotist Sebastian Steel hypnotized Jacob Zdunich, Trudy Smith, Karen Reich, Kristin Sampson and Lois Dueck as part of an after-dinner performance at the new Davidson Swimming Pool fund-raising Gala. Steel brought 12 people up on stage and of the 12, five were hypnotized.

“The people who were hypnotized were great,” said new Davidson Swimming Pool fund committee member Jessie Foster. “They were funny. At one point he had them think their hands were stuck together. He had them believe they were on a hot beach, then he switched them and they were in the Arctic for a little while. During intermission the hypnotized people gave back massages to people for money. He had Jacob become pregnant and have a baby.

“There was lots of stuff, but it was all tasteful, really good and nothing over the line.”

Dueck, who like the other four was hypnotized for the whole three-hour show, said she remembers the whole time she was under.

“I would have to say I was conscious of what I was doing, but it was weird,” said Dueck. “I was aware, but I was still doing it. It’s tough to explain. It wasn’t like I was unconscious or anything like that, not at all. It was just a feeling like ‘OK this is what I’m supposed to do, so I’ll do it.’ It was fun.”

Dueck said she had been to see a hypnotist “a few years back,” but could not be put under at that time. She said being hypnotized this time around was quite a surprise to her and the length of time she was “asleep” came as an even bigger shock.

“When we came down off the stage and I came back and sat down at my table I could not believe that three hours had gone by,” she said. “I was like ‘what do you mean we were the whole show.’ I had no idea we were up there for three hours. It went super fast, so that was cool.”

Foster said about 190 people attended the Gala, which raised $18,000 for the construction of a new pool in Davidson. She said the committee was only hoping to raise $10,000 at the $50 a ticket Gala, so the party that extended into the wee hours of the morning proved to be a big success.

To read more please see the Dec. 3 print edition of The Davidson Leader.