Ian Thorpe part of the country’s Fab 400, gathered to raise a mega $1.4m for sick kids
IAN Thorpe was part of the country’s fab 400 who gathered to raise a mammoth $1.4m for sick kids at an event in Sydney on Thursday night.
Melissa Hoyer
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GOLD is a colour Ian Thorpie is used to in his life.
But this time Thorpie chose to go for gold in a philanthropic sense, lending his support, profile and star power to the country’s most prestigious fundraising event for sick kids.
The $1500 per head event had more than 400 invited guests gather to celebrate the 18th Annual Gold Dinner in support of the sick kids at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick.
In grand ‘Gold Dinner’ style, the landmark building was transformed for the evening, spectacularly ‘wallpapered’ in 10 metre high heritage panoramic wallpaper depicting the voyages of Captain Cook.
The images, Les Sauvages de la mer Pacifique, were a gift from the National Gallery of Australia to the hospital to facilitate an extraordinary art installation that was directed by Tony Assness.
With a guest list featuring a who’s who, the Gold Dinner has raised more than $18 million during the past 17 years and now has just about hit the $20 million mark.
Funds raised from this year’s event will provide new Fellowships in four specialised areas of paediatric medicine during the next two years: Pain and Palliative Care, General Surgery, Oncology and Emergency.
A Fellowship is awarded competitively to a doctor already extensively trained in pediatrics, who elects to enter further specialised training in a particular field of paediatric medicine.
This year’s event attracted a stellar crowd including John Symond and Amber Keating, Skye Leckie, Sarah and Robby Ingham, Kelly Landry and Anthony Bell, Scott and Alina Barlow, Justin Miller, Tom and Hoda Waterhouse, Neil and Sam Perry and Clare Paspaley.
There was also Kirsten Carriol and Jean Marc Carriol, Kirsten and Brad Dale, Philip Corne, Nicky and Troy Tindill, Deborah Symond and her brother Stephen Symond.
Meanwhile, the night was hosted by Channel 9’s Allison Langdon and Cameron Williams.
Guests sipped on an antipodean-inspired menu specially designed and donated by Matt Moran and his team at Aria Catering, complemented with drinks by Bollinger and Lion and bid on money-can’t-buy prizes from supporters like Louis Vuitton, Paspaley, One & Only Resorts and Etihad, auctioned by the inimitable Justin Miller.
Gold Dinner committee co-chairs Nikki McCullagh and Chrissy Comino, alongside Gold Dinner Ambassadors Skye Leckie and Lucy Turnbull led the committee to put together the annual event.
The Gold Dinner committee included Alina Barlow, Roslyn Hakim, Rachelle Hofbauer, Sara Lane, Wallis Graham, Vogue’s Edwina McCann and Adriana Weiss while corporate ambassadors, Laing & Simmons Double Bay and Bondi Beach, One & Only and Servcorp were pleased with the funds raised on the night.
The Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation CEO Leanne Warner: “Our Fellowship Program identifies and nurtures excellence, education, vision and innovation and acts as a springboard for Australia’s brightest and best doctors to specialise in their chosen field,’’ she said.
“Fellows deliver immediate clinical impact to their Departments, drive research projects and help to keep our Hospital performing at the highest levels. An investment in our Fellowship Program creates a lasting legacy for the future of children’s healthcare.”
Great, gold stuff all around!
Originally published as Ian Thorpe part of the country’s Fab 400, gathered to raise a mega $1.4m for sick kids
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