Inside Tour de Cure’s lavish charity gala at Sydney ICC

Sydney’s social set drank and dug deep over the weekend, raising $1.5 million dollars for Tour de Cure’s cancer efforts in less than six hours.

MAFS sweethearts Jules Robinson and Cameron Merchant at the 2023 Tour de Cure gala ball. Picture: Matrix

“What cost of living cost crisis?” publicist Jana Hocking joked when Confidential called to ask for the inside scoop on the biggest and glitziest charity ball of the year.

Tour de Cure’s annual gala on Saturday night saw Sydney’s socialites raise $1.5 million dollars for cancer research in a matter of six hours.

The Bollywood themed ball hosted at the ICC invited the likes of TV host Erin Holland and her husband Australian cricketer Ben Cutting, MAFS sweethearts Jules Robinson and Cameron Merchant, and Larry and Sylvie Emdur.

“Cam and I were just saying how one person who donated $100K wasn’t even bidding on anything,” Robinson said.

“We were like ‘oh my god’. Someone else bid $35K and got flights to Europe, but others were just pledging chunks of $100k.”

Jana Hocking at the Tour de Cure Snow Ball 2023. Picture: Matrix

Former MAFS contestant and entrepreneur Jules Robinson and husband Cameron Merchant at the star-studded charity event. Picture: Matrix

Other luxury goodies up for auction included a Hayman Island experience, a day at the Melbourne Cup with Lexus, a BVLGARI Serpenti Bag and a private seafood lunch for eight people at home, catered and hosted by Icebergs Head Chef Alex Prichard.

Seven Network’s Sunrise and Weekend Sunrise team collectively MC’d, with Mark Beretta OAM at the helm.

Larry and Sylvie Emdur.

Domique Robinson and Mark Beretta.

“One auction was for a night at Matt Doran’s holiday house in the Blue Mountains, and the prizes were going for wild money,” Hocking said.

“The problem with all the Channel 7 guys being on a table all together after a few wines is they kept coming up with ways to raise the stakes. That was a good laugh.

“Matt and his wife Kendall, Larry, and Mark all said they would come and pick the buyers up by boat and take them water skiing, and serve them cocktails if it went for over $10k.”

Samantha Jade performing a tribute to the late Tina Turner. Picture: Kate Sommer.

Far from the stuffiness of old school black-tie events, Robinson said guests loaded up on cocktails and champagne and the dance floor was “packed from early until the very end”.

Adding that X Factor winner Samantha Jade “stole the show” with her rendition of Tina Turner’s Simply The Best.

TV presenter Erin Holland stunned in a Gold Couture gown. Picture: Matrix

“Everyone was having a really good time,” Hocking said, “bringing out all their best TikTok dances. Former Miss World Australia Erin Holland was at my table. She’s so beautiful, it’s like she’s not a real human.”

Holland wore a $3450 floor length gown beaded with Swarovski crystals from Gold Couture.

“I LOVE getting the opportunity to rock a black tie gown,” she told Confidential.

“It was such an incredible night. I went hard on the raffle for the diamond earrings but it was not my night there.”

Funds raised from the philanthropic event will benefit Tour de Cure’s efforts, including treatment for neuroblastoma, the most common tumour in children under 5 that causes the most deaths.