Ron MacLean is used to Saturday nights, but this one will look a little different.
The longtime host of Hockey Night in Canada is coming to Victoria on Aug. 23 to co-host the Simon Keith Heart of Gold Gala at the Victoria Conference Centre, an event expected to gather at least 600 people.
He will co-host the gala with Global News Morning's, Jason Pires.
"Simon reached out to me just after the Vegas Golden Knights (Simon's favourite team) won the 2023 Stanley Cup, and asked if I would be available for this. And to be honest, it's hard to say no to Simon Keith," MacLean recalled.
The gala is the first Canadian event hosted by The Simon Keith Foundation, which Keith launched in 2012. Since then, it has raised more than $10 million to support children undergoing life-saving transplants and to promote organ donation.
“Victoria’s home,” Keith told Victoria News in May. “It’s where I learned to play sports, where I learned to live life, where I learned to love people and to fight."
Keith, 60, grew up in Saanich and graduated from Mount Douglas Secondary.
At 19, while playing soccer for UVic, he was diagnosed with myocarditis, a virus that attacks the heart muscle, and two years later he underwent open-heart surgery in England.
He went on to become the first athlete in the world to play a professional team sport after open-heart surgery and has dedicated his life to helping others ever since.
"The thing that I have learned about Simon over the years is, when he does something, he goes all in," MacLean said. “He’s just one of those guys who dreams everything into reality. Whatever he does, he does in a big way.”
Keith has brought a star-studded crew together for the gala, with his close friendship with Vancouver Whitecaps co-owner Jeff Mallett and The Courtnall Foundation being two of those ties.
"When I think of people who have made positive impacts and given back, Simon and the Courtnall brothers are at the top of that list," MacLean said. "And obviously, to see one of his best friends, Jeff Mallett, involved so heavily speaks volumes about their relationship."
The evening is to feature a lineup of star performers, including Vonzell Solomon, an internationally acclaimed vocalist known for her powerful stage presence; Matt Mauser, whose heartfelt and moving performances have captivated audiences worldwide; and Pia Toscano, a dynamic and celebrated vocal powerhouse.
“Pia sang the anthem before the Los Angeles Kings games when they won the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014. The Courtnall boys once told me their dad Archie made them stand for O Canada whenever it came on Hockey Night in Canada. So it’s pretty special to have the singer from those Stanley Cup anthems performing at this gala," MacLean said.
MacLean also has his own ties to Victoria. He lived in the city briefly as a child while his father served in the Air Force, and he returned for moments like the 1994 Commonwealth Games, which he called a defining moment in his career, and 2024 Hockey Day in Canada.
“It’s actually more of an honour than a thrill, you know, to be part of this,” he said. "Victoria is such an important place for me and my career."