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The annual DFNI Charity Ball, held in London last Friday, continues to deliver vital revenues each year to causes that are generally out of the public limelight but which richly deserve the attention – and the funding – they get through this event.
This year, proceeds from the Gala Dinner and auction went to Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin, Ireland. They will be used to purchase life-saving heart equipment for babies – nearly one in a 100 children is born with a heart defect.
The industry was out in force on the evening, where the ‘Big Top’ theming lent more than the usual colour to a travel retail event. Above, Aer Rianta International-Middle East Managing Director John Sutcliffe and The Design Solution Owner Robbie Gill admire the Irishman’s sartorial splendour while in the background, the evening’s MC – GTR Sales Founder David Spillane – does his usual understated frontman role with trademark excellence.
And who’s that above (right)? Yes it’s none other than Gebr Heinemann Director Raoul Spanger entering into the spirit of proceedings. Raoul was on hand to collect the DFNI award for Best New Shop Opening of the Year – which went to ATU, the joint venture between TAV and Gebr Heinemann-controlled Unifree at Istanbul Ataturk Airport.
But the highlight of the evening was a distinctly statesmanlike and erudite address by Dublin-based Kiwi paediatric heart consultant David Coleman (below), who provided a compelling insight into the remarkable progress of science in battling infant mortality.
That address prompted a highly successful auction which looks like delivering – with room to spare – enough funding to buy the heart imaging system that will help the medical team at Our Lady’s Hospital detect and diagnose heart defects in children faster and more accurately.
A great evening for a great cause. Credit to DFNI.