Kate's 16th Annual Afternoon Tea

LeBlanc Never Needed Much Coaxing For Kate Linder's Charity Tea for the Canadian Cancer Society

By Steph Troughton
Kate and friends at the 2014 Vancouver Tea
Young and the Restless cast members pose for a group shot at the 16th annual Kate Linder and Friends Afternoon Tea for the Canadian Cancer Society on July 19. Credit Steph Troughton.

For years, Christlian LeBlanc (Michael Baldwin) on The Young and the Restless has needed little persuasion to participate in the Kate Linder and Friends Afternoon Tea Vancouver fundraising event, this year for the Canadian Cancer Society.

The Young and the Restless' dynamic star chuckles and pauses when asked why he agrees to keep coming back and emceeing the event that was just held in Vancouver at the Fairmont Hotel.

He says, "It's Kate's energy," and then elaborates to reveal it's the cancer survivors he has had long discussions with that remind him why committing to his fundraising role, year after year, is important.

"You are reminded constantly of the real-world application of what we do up on that stage," he adds.

Kate at the 2014 Vancouver Tea
Kate conducting the live auction during the tea. Credit Steph Troughton.

Christel Khalil (Lily Winters), who attended the Vancouver tea three years ago, says she was delighted to come back.

"I wanted to see all the fans again and come and see Vancouver again, and I just love what Kate does here. I think she does a really great job, how well planned it is and I just love it," says Khalil.

This year's fundraiser marked the start of a partnership with the Canadian Cancer Society and a three-year funding commitment of $90,000 from Kate Linder and Friends to ovarian and breast cancer research.

Canadian Cancer Society BC-Yukon Division Manager of Annual Giving, Huda Al-Saedy, explains the change in funding to both kinds of cancer was very welcomed as "ovarian cancer is one of the hardest cancers to treat."

Dedicated fans who routinely attend the tea, so predictably present at this year's event, say they are equally as dedicated to the show.

"I've never missed an episode," says 34-year-old Vancouver fan Stacey Morrison who started watching it with her mom as a young child and just "got hooked" after that.