Heroes in the crowd…

Last week on Valentine’s Day, I was busy rehearsing some lines I was going to use as MC at a fund-raising function. It was the first time I’d MC’d an event where I was also on the organising committee, so there were twice as many reasons for hoping it was going to be a ripper of a night. And thankfully it was.

Called ‘The Sisterhood’, the committee did a brilliant job reaching out to Melbourne’s movers and shakers and getting them to come along and help raise much-needed funds for the cardiac research unit at St Vincent’s Hospital. As you might know, heart disease is still the biggest killer of all (when it comes to health matters) in Australia.

I’m not going to bang on about what a fab time everyone had, because if you weren’t there, then that’s just plain dull. But I do want to thank a few people who deserve special mention for going above and beyond the call of duty. And to a handful of those people, you have been elevated to hero status in my eyes and I will forever be indebted to you. Thank you. A million times – thank you.

Special thanks to:

Our amazing sponsors!

The Deck at The Prince, St Kilda

The Deck at The Prince, St Kilda

 

The Deck at The Prince in St Kilda. This stunning venue was made available through the generosity of The Melbourne Pub Group. Definitely the best place in Melbourne to stage a glamour party!

 

Bensimons diamond

Bensimons diamond

 

Bensimons Jewellers, for donating a TEN THOSAND dollar diamond for our main raffle prize.

 

 

Major sponsor, Swisse Vitamins

Major sponsor, Swisse Vitamins

 

Swisse Vitamins for donating a Spring Racing Carnival package for the main auction, including marquee tickets and Arthur Galan race wear.

 

 

Magnetic Island

Magnetic Island

 

Magnetic Island, Luxury Private Apartments and Boston Kennedy Recruitment for providing a wonderful holiday package for the main auction.

 

 

Crown Metropol

Crown Metropol

 

 

Crown Metropol for providing a glamour hotel accommodation package as a raffle prize, including dinner at Mr Hive.

 

Laurent Perrier champagne

Laurent Perrier champagne

 

 

 

Laurent Perrier for making our special champagne raffle draw possible. Easy to sell tickets when people know they’re getting a glass of such fine bubbles!

 

 

 

 

Also, to the many wonderful friends and family who bought tickets, some dipping into their pockets despite tight budgets, AND to those with enormous work loads who came despite tight schedules, AND to those whose companies also donated products for goodie bags – sending you all the biggest of hugs and thanks… xxxxxx

Kate Arnott and Mitch Catlin

Kate Arnott and Mitch Catlin

Aaron Jenkin and Sally Richardson

Aaron Jenkin and Sally Richardson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jill Hansen and Tina Millington

Jill Hansen and Tina Millington

Julie Thomas, Cathy Thomas and Jill Hansen

Julie Thomas, Cathy Thomas and Jill Hansen

 

 

 

 

 

 

To my sister, Jill (Billie) for all her love and support. And to my brother, David and sister-in-law, Penny, who came as well.

Cameron McGlinchey and Natalie Bassingthwaighte

Cameron McGlinchey and Natalie Bassingthwaighte

 

And to Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Cameron McGlinchey who came despite Nat not feeling her most comfortable right now, due to the exciting news of a second baby on the way!

 

 

 

 

Me and Fletch

Me and Fletch

 

 

And a HUGE thank you to my gorgeous, amazing and supportive husband, Fletch, who helped enormously on the night. Not only did he rally the crowd, using his best theatrical voice, when we needed everyone inside for speeches or the auction – he ALSO sang a number with Melissa Bergland, proving – one again – he is indeed a man of MANY talents.

 

 

 

THE HEROES

For me, there were also several heroes on the night – those who proved to be outstanding human beings for many reasons. Here they are:

Andrew Newcomb, surgeon

Andrew Newcomb, surgeon

(1) Andrew Newcomb, the Deputy Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery at St Vincent’s Hospital. This man is a medical genius. He spoke on the night about the breakthroughs in heart surgery taking place RIGHT NOW which means we all look to him in awe. He’s performed five ground-breaking operations since December, which will revolutionise the way aortic valve replacement surgery is performed, making patients’ recovery times quicker and easier.

 

 

Kristen Kennedy (middle)

Kristen Kennedy (middle)

(2) Kristen Kennedy is one of The Sisterhood committee members. Kristen also spoke on the night, and it was one of the most heartfelt and brave speeches I’ve ever heard. Kristen took some time to decide in the weeks before the event, whether it was something she would be able to do. You will understand why…  Kristen talked about the tragic loss of her brother, Andrew, who died at just 36 years of age from a Sudden Arrhythmic episode only 18 months ago. Her words reminded everyone that heart disease doesn’t discriminate in terms of age and is an issue that affects us all.

Melissa Bergland

Melissa Bergland

 

(3) Melissa Bergland is not only a super-talented actress whom most of you will instantly recognise from the hit TV show Winners and Losers – she has a powerhouse voice! Melissa kindly agreed to sing on the night – DONATING HER TIME – which was incredibly generous. PLUS she is working very long hours on the show right now and had to start the next morning at FIVE AM!!! Definitely a hero in my book. Thank you Melissa!

 

 

 

 

 

Guardian angel

Guardian angel

 

(4) My anonymous Guardian Angel. A special friend, who doesn’t wish to be named, made an incredibly generous donation as well as proving to be an enormously special and supportive friend. Darling, I love you – thank you from the bottom of my heart.

 

Rachel Holland with friend, Julian Gerner, Melbourne Pub Group

Rachel Holland with friend, Julian Gerner, Melbourne Pub Group

 

(5) Rachel Holland was the chair-person of The Sisterhood committee, for this – our second event. I’ve always known she was smart and efficient (she is a lawyer, after all…) but Rachel’s work for this Valentine’s Day event went WAY above and beyond the call of duty. She and her husband Nick are also expecting their first baby, so she took on this extra workload while also dealing with first pregnancy issues and running her own successful on-line jewellery business, Eclektica. (ECLEKTICA.com) Rach, you are a legend and a wonderful friend. Thank you for everything!

 

 

 

Finally, it has to be said. None of this would have happened without the dedication and hard work of all my ‘sisters’ in The Sisterhood Committee. Special mentions for outstanding effort goes to Amber Petty, Kate McGrath and Sarah Kennedy. Well done, girls!

The Sisterhood Committee

The Sisterhood Committee

 

 

What you could win at our Valentine’s Day fundraiser for St Vincent’s Hospital

 

My apologies. I’ve been a bit light on with the blogging stuff over the last few days, but I have been VERY busy. You see, being a very-important-committee member of a very-important-charity-event is VERY time consuming. I don’t need to bore you with WHAT I’ve been doing. Suffice to say Thursday night’s cocktail party – organised by The Sisterhood – is going to be bloody good fun. And if you haven’t bought a ticket… hurry up!!!

If you can’t make it, at least you can read about what you won’t be able to buy or win because you’re not going to be there. And the prize list is pretty fabulous.

There’s THREE ways to get cool stuff on the night.

(1) Buy a $50 raffle ticket which also scores you a divine glass of Laurent Perrier Champagne and be in the running to win either:
– A TEN THOUSAND DOLLAR DIAMOND FROM BENSIMON’S JEWELLERS
OR

Crown Metropol

Crown Metropol

 

A CROWN METROPOL PACKAGE which includes one night’s luxury accommodation, with full buffet breakfast for two at Mr Hive Kitchen and Bar, valet parking and complimentary access to the peaceful Isika Day Spa.

 

 

(2) Buy a $50 or $100  LUCKY DIP TICKET with the chance to win prizes such as Eclecktica earrings, a Cactus Jam voucher, a Microcloud Pillow, a Marie Claire subscription, spray tans from Body Bronze, one of my Booty Up products, a Breville Pizza Oven, a Liberty Belle Facial  voucher to the value of $750 or even a Kaya Gym Membership valued at $1035. And that’s only naming a few…

(3) BID AT THE AUCTION. There’s only six items up for grabs and they’re all wonderful. Here’s a sneak peak…

(a) A HOLIDAY ON MAGNETIC ISLAND -Five nights luxury accommodation at  ‘ONE BRIGHT POINT’ Magnetic Island Luxury Apartments. Featuring the ultimate ocean front accommodation, these apartments are located on the 
beautiful heritage listed Magnetic Island, just off the Tropical
 North Queensland coast. Magnetic Island is the sunniest location on the Queensland 
coast with an average of 320 sunny days per year.  It has 
over 23 beaches, huge National park, shops, cafes, local 
galleries and golf course.

Nicole Kidman at the Swisse marquee

Nicole Kidman at the Swisse marquee at Flemington

(b) SWISSE EXPERIENCE – 2 Tickets to the Swisse Marquee on Oaks Day, including transfers to and from the track, with overnight accommodation and a $500 Arthur Galan voucher to pick the perfect racing outfit.

(c) A BALLOON RIDE – valued at more than $600

(d)  FOUR TICKETS TO THE FOOTY SHOW This award winning and sometimes controversial TV show is still going strong after 19 years. The Footy Show, starring Sam Newman, James Brayshaw and Garry Lyon is still so popular that there is more than a year’s wait for tickets. Four tickets are up for grabs to one of the live shows this coming AFL season. It’s a ‘money-can’t-buy’ experience.

 

(e) PRESIDENT”S DINNER FOR TWO – COLLINGWOOD VS CARLTON This Round Two match takes place at the MCG on April 7th. It’s one of the biggest games of the year. With one of the longest lasting and strongest rivalries in the AFL, Collingwood versus Carlton games are always blockbusters.
The Collingwood President’s lunch is a five-star way to enjoy the game. At over 400 dollars a head, the most ardent fans gather for a 3 course meal and afternoon tea at half time. As well as the blockbuster game, fans are treated to entertainment and a rousing speech from club president Eddie McGuire.

(f) A signed COLLINGWOOD FOOTBALL JUMPER – These are extremely rare nowadays, with Collingwood restricting the number of jumpers released that are sign by the entire team. This one is signed by each of the 2013 team members.

 

Hot-air balloon ride

Hot-air balloon ride

 

So as you can see, there’s a tonne of very cool stuff up for grabs and given it’s not a massive function, if you can still get a ticket (and they are limited) then it’s likely you’ve got a pretty good chance of winning a TEN THOUSAND DOLLAR diamond. I know I’ll be buying a raffle ticket for that one.

Hope to see you there. If you DO want to buy a ticket to our Valentine’s Day event (for couples and singles!!) at The Deck at The Prince in St Kilda, click on the link below.

 

 

To book tickets:

http://www.trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=39386

You’re all invited! Update on a super cool Valentines Day party

Further to last Friday’s blog about The Sisterhood committee organising THE coolest Valentine’s Day party in support of heart research at St Vincents Hospital – I can now bring you the official invitation and booking details. Ta da!

It’s not just for couples. Plenty of singles are coming too – what better party to meet your Valentine?

Official Valentine's Day invitation

Official Valentine’s Day invitation

To book tickets:

 http://www.trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=39386

I’m thrilled it’s going to be held at the hippest venue in Melbourne – THE DECK at The Prince Hotel in St Kilda. What a great space for a party! And after hosting dozens of conventional balls over the years, I’m very much looking forward to a less formal, younger styled event with great entertainment and a DJ.

The Deck, Prince Hotel, St Kilda

The Deck, Prince Hotel, St Kilda

Actress Melissa Bergland

Actress Melissa Bergland

 

I’m also very excited that the super talented and gorgeous Melissa Bergland, star of TV series Winners and Losers, will perform for us on the night. Not only a beautiful in person, but super generous. She’s donating her time on the evening which is amazing. Especially given so many celebrities these days seem to want to charge a small fortune to appear at charity gigs, which I just don’t get.  Melissa, you are an angel and we can’t wait to hear you perform on the night.

 

And if you’re still not convinced this is going to be a super special evening, check out our party rules below. Designed to make SURE we keep the vibe up and the party spirit high.

1. No speeches or MC chatting to go longer than five minutes.

2. Limited items in the charity auction. A quick auction is a good auction.

3. LOADS of fabulous finger food and drinks provided with excellent service.

4. Great entertainment and cool music

5. Value packed free goodie bags (one per couple)

6. Lots of dancing

7. No jumping in the pool – potential injuries are not cool

If you’d like to know more about the committee and what we’re trying to achieve, here’s the official blurb:

sisterhood spiel copy 2

The Sisterhood – Raising money for St Vincent’s Hospital

 So don’t waste time because tickets really are selling fast. Get on line and book now! It’s great value at $100 a ticket which includes food, drinks, entertainment and a gift bag – plus it’s tax deductible!

Looking forward to partying with you on February 14th!