26th Gold Dinner raises $33m for Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation
The Gold Dinner — Australia’s most ambitious and successful fundraiser — this week raised more than $33m for the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation.
Entertainment
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Despite being a wet and cold night, more than 500 deep-pocketed men and women descended on White Bay Power Station (on time) for the 26th annual Gold Dinner.
Former NSW premier Kristina Keneally, CommBank chief executive Matt Comyn, former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and former lord mayor Lucy Turnbull, NSW Health Minister Ryan Park, TV personality Matt Shirvington, children’s performer Emma Watkins, broadcasters Ray Hadley and Gus Worland, and former Reserve Bank governor Phillip Lowe helped raise more than $33m for the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation, bringing the total amount raised to $90.4m.
Hottest couple
Pilates guru Bernadette Fahey ensured all eyes were on her in a divine Giorgio Armani dress when she entered the room alongside new boyfriend, Buildcorp chief operating officer Jordan Sukkar.
Best dressed
Glamour Montana Cox brought her sartorial A-game to the event, wearing a Giorgio Armani crop which she paired with a skirt by the same designer.
The Bulgari diamonds were the perfect touch to an already immaculate ensemble.
Relationship debut
Gaming billionaire Laurence Escalante attended the black-tie event alongside his new and young squeeze Jacinta Constantine.
The pair did nothing to hide their romance, spending much of the night snapping loved-up pics of themselves.
Adding some glamour
Bookmaker-turned-stock picker Tom Waterhouse and his stunning wife Hoda haven’t been seen on the social scene for a few years after the pair moved to London in 2021 to develop a gambling brokerage for investors.
Confidential heard the family wasn’t happy in London, and they are back in Australia permanently and added a touch of glamour to the soiree.
All eyes on
After recently taking their relationship to the next level and moving in together, many were keen to see how 81-year-old billionaire Robert Whyte and his young fashion marketer girlfriend Alessandra Eddy’s relationship was tracking.
Confidential spotted the pair being generous at the table they hosted.
While there weren’t many displays of PDA, the pair are clearly smitten with one another.
Most intriguing
Nelson Mandela’s grandson Ndaba Mandela was in the room.
The co-founder and chairman of the Mandela Institute for Humanity flew all the way from South Africa for the event.
We’re not entirely sure why he was there, however, he certainly had people talking.
One of the committee members is apparently good friends with him.
Most expensive jewellery
Gold Dinner committee co-chair Linda Penn was wearing a 20 carat $40m Bvlgari necklace. She also looked resplendent in Oscar de la Renta.
Most random moment
Sandy Jan donated $5m on behalf of her dog!
The new dog park at Sydney Children’s Hospital at Randwick will be named after her pet, Dee Dee.
Jan, whose husband is foreign exchange dealer Tony Collick, lost her beloved pup three years ago.
Food and wine
● 240 bottles of Bollinger were consumed.
● 2400 canapes were eaten.
● Five-course dinner was prepared by JunEdelmuth.
Most impressive
Kristina Keneally was compelling and managed to silence the entire crowd with her welcoming speech.
The politician-turned-chief executive of Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation told Saturday Confidential: “Everyone in the room is here to help sick kids.
“They are giving generously from their hearts to make sure every child in New South Wales — no matter who, no matter what — can get the best possible care in our children’s hospitals.
“The fact is the government will never be able to meet all of the demand or all of the opportunities in kids’ health. That’s why philanthropy matters.”
Awkward
Rodney and Lyndi Adler on the same table as Lucy and Malcolm Turnbull.
They seemed to be getting along relatively well, but there’s major history there so it was no doubt a little uncomfortable for both.
The Sydney Children’s Hospital Gold Dinner was devised in 1997 by Lyndi Adler and Lucy Turnbull. But Rodney and Malcolm’s relationship has been tested over the years.
Turnbull was entangled in the collapse of HIH, Australia’s then-second largest insurance company.
Turnbull, in his capacity at Goldman Sachs, was the “primary adviser to FAI”, an insurance company acquired by HIH, whose chief executive was Rodney Adler.
Turnbull was initially accused of concealing from the FAI board that he was working with Adler to take the company private.
But while Adler was later jailed, the Royal Commission cleared Turnbull and Goldman Sachs of any wrongdoing.
We hear the two men were “civil, but by no means chummy”.
The entertainment
Tones and I hit it out of the ballpark.
Rumoured to have partied well into the night with Gold Committee co-chair Josh Penn, who was immaculately dressed in head to toe Tom Ford.
Anon donations
While in previous years, many cashed-up individuals made donations in a bid to have the spotlight on them for a hot minute, this year, surprisingly, the majority of the donations (some around the $1m mark) were made by guests in the room who asked to not be named or identified. Refreshing!
Largest individual donation
There were two $5m donations.
One was anonymous and the other from forex dealer Tony Collick and his partner Sandy Jan.
Company donation
The largest company donation for the night was a $10.5m cheque from the Kids with Cancer Foundation.
Best table
With lots of corporates, politicians and business types in the room, the vibe was quite serious. But not on the son of healthcare heir Mark Moran’s table.
The laugh-a-minute Max Moran (who looks like Johnny Depp but acts like the Joker), his beautiful sister Saphira, wealthy property heiress Mackenzie Casey and eastern suburbs glamour Vanessa Fennell were without a doubt having the most fun. You could hear the foursome laughing from a mile away.
You would have thought they were the winning bidders on every auction item.
Observations
There’s been a major shift. There wasn’t a celebrity, influencer or WAG in sight.
The right people were there for the right reasons. Not for notoriety, but to give money. That’s true philanthropy.
And the committee reaped the rewards raising an eye-watering $90,400,000.
Gossip
All eyes were on Laser Clinics founder Alistair and wife Kate Champion whose marriage is believed to be on the rocks.
The couple put on a united front, with Kate (among the best dressed in the room in a black YSL strapless dress) working the room.
Alistair had a little too much fun and was sighted a little tipsy out the front of the venue.
Most cringe moment
PM Anthony Albanese was kind enough to share a video of himself congratulating the committee and donors on their efforts, however, we can’t be sure someone approved the video.
Albanese slurred his way through the one-minute speech, leaving many wondering whether it was recorded after a few bevvies.
And, in perhaps a sign of the times, one of the auction prizes — a lunch for four with the PM — went for just $100,000.
Comparatively, in 2022 a similar prize was on offer at WA’s Telethon Ball and it went for $525,000.
WTF
Proving just how much money was in the room, Saturday Confidential overheard a gentleman who had paid $5000 for a raffle ticket and won a Porsche say to his mate: “I don’t want it, do you?”
MIA
Amber and John Symond have reportedly had a table at the Gold Dinner almost every year since its inception, however, post-divorce, they were nowhere to be seen.
“They are keeping a low profile,” said one guest.
There wasn’t an O’Neil, Tzaneros or Stokes in the room.
Even founding Gold Dinner committee member Skye Leckie was nowhere to be seen. Previous chair Monica Saunders-Weinberg was absent, as was Francesca Packer who has attended most years.
Year on year
Last year, the dinner raised $19.2m, which was a global record for a children’s hospital benefit.
This year they raised $33.4m on the night.
This will go towards the redevelopment of the Randwick and Westmead Children’s hospitals.
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