2008 Blue and Orange Ball

The Bayview Eden in Albert Park was the venue for our 2008 Blue and Orange Ball. Who will ever forget the stunning blue and orange banners which told the story of CIKA’s children? We are very grateful to Fred Bergman of Accord Printing for his commitment to this project. 

From the moment our guests arrived it was clear that it was going to be a great night. Welcome drink in hand, bargains were snapped up from the moment of arrival. Our sponsors had once again done us proud and our dedicated volunteers had no trouble in enticing our guests to purchase the great gift bags donated by Lowan Whole Foods, O’Hea’s Bakery and the Flemington Veterinary Hospital. 

The Silent Auction ensured there was something for everyone and bidding was fierce, particularly towards the end of the night. Thank you to everyone who contributed an item for the silent auction. It raised over $26,000 thanks to the more than two hundred and sixty items donated and the generosity of our guests. We also had no trouble selling tickets to the major raffle with a wide screen television being the major prize. Thank you to Ted Taplin and friends for raising the funds to purchase this major prize. 

Our very valued regular guests at the ball have come to expect the annual game of ‘Heads and Tails’ which starts the night. CIKA’s patron, Peter Mitchell, and John Carter from Hocking Stuart yet again proved themselves up to the task of managing 450 people ready to have a great night. We don’t envy them the job of running the Grand Auction; furniture packages, holidays, sports memorabilia and more brought forth competitive bidding from our very generous guests. We thank our platinum sponsors Specto, Security Advisory, The Woodpeckers and Bev Marks Beds for their commitment to CIKA by providing financial support and some of our Grand Auction items. The continued support of our platinum sponsors means CIKA can move forward with confidence towards achieving our goals.

Two speakers helped our audience understand CIKA from quite different perspectives. With the help of Dr Keith Waters, Katherine Alexander told her story reminding us why the work of CIKA is so important. With your help CIKA can play its part in ensuring that there are more survivors of childhood cancer who can tell their story. Later in the night thirteen year old Joshua told us the story of his efforts to raise money for CIKA. You can read more of his story by clicking here.

As always, we were treated to excellent food and great music and many of our guests danced into the small hours. We are thrilled to be able to tell you, our supporters, that this year’s ball raised $92,300 – a fabulous total. Thank you to everyone who played a part.