Little Wings Ball honours Little Hero Ivy, raising over $100,000 for our ongoing support services
Just over a week ago, on Saturday November 17th the day of the Little Wings Ball had arrived. Over 750 guests packed into the Adelaide Convention Centre for a night of laughter, entertainment, tears, and some all-important fundraising for our Little Heroes Care Program.
Our beautiful Butterfly Girls welcomed guests in the foyer, providing a touch of glam and setting the tone for what would be an event to remember, with delicious food, premium wines and quality entertainment.
Once inside, guests had a chance to mingle, find their seats and buy their tickets for the night’s Major Raffle, where a person in the room would win a brand new Hyundai Accent, thanks to Maughan Thiem.
The room was decorated with a bespoke inflatable baby (based on the logo design and inspired by Little Hero Ivy), a large dance floor for the evening’s entertainment, and stunning floral centrepieces. Around the room, guests enjoyed delicious flavoured marshmallow desserts, a special gin bar complete with a custom ice sculpture, an Instagram Photobooth and fundraising Wine Wall, with a mixtures of donated wines from premium South Australian labels.
Beginning the evening was a special performance by the String Sirens, a three piece band featuring violins and modern tunes. Guests were then welcomed by the host for the evening, Triple M’s Chris Dittmar. Ditts was then followed by speeches from Steve Krause, thanking guests for supporting the evening, from Hannah Krause, who spoke about their recent experiences as a family and thanked all who had been instrumental in coordinating their daughter Ivy’s care, and from Dr Mary Cossich, a palliative paediatric nurse at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, who spoke about the importance of support initiatives like Little Heroes Care.
A special performance from ‘Unusualist’ Raymond Crowe had guests mesmerised, with his incredible hand puppetry and story telling show.
Next up was our Major Auction, after a final reminder from our Chairman and Founder Chris McDermott about the importance of fundraising for us to continue our support for children and families in South Australia. Hosted by Jarrod Tagni from Harcourts Real Estate (Tagni), the night’s auctions provided plenty of exciting opportunities for guests to win unique prizes, while at the same time supporting a worthy cause. A big thank you to Jarrod and to all who donated products, services and vouchers, ensuring we raised even more money towards our cause.
Following the auction, we had Aussie rocker legend John ‘Swanee’ Swan perform with local band Velvet, who followed up with covers of classic and modern songs. The performances proved incredibly popular with guests on the dance floor!
To end the night, our Major Raffle was drawn, with winners walking (or driving) away with a brand new car, a premium Ping golf club set, a 75” Samsung Plasma TV, and a beautiful Gold and Silver Cuff bracelet.
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The ‘Why’ Behind the ‘What’
A cultivation of almost 12 months of seeking auction items, selling tables and sourcing sponsorship and volunteers, the Little Wings Ball was inspired by the journey of a young South Australian girl named Ivy Krause.
Diagnosed with a rare genetic skin condition called Epidermolysis Bullosa, Ivy’s skin was as delicate as a butterflies wings (hence the nickname “Butterfly Children”) which presented challenges in almost every aspect of her life.
Since first meeting Ivy over 7 years ago, we’ve closely followed and been involved with her care, and the Little Wings Ball was a way for Hannah and Steve (Ivy’s parents) to give back to those who had supported Ivy’s specialised care.
It was with great sadness that we first shared with our supporters that Ivy had passed away in late October, presenting the heart breaking challenge for her family to continue with the plans for the Gala Ball. The strength and courage displayed by Hannah, Steve and their entire committee is something we at Little Heroes Foundation will never forget.
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Thank you to all involved in making this event an amazing success. To the committee of Steve, Hannah, Prue, Chris, Joe, Jacqui, Samantha, Mish, Darren, Tricia, Leanne, Johnny, Jen, Audra, and Simon – Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to supporting our cause. And of course, a special thank you to our amazing volunteers, without whom, the event simply would not have been able to happen.
Overall, the evening raised just over $100,000 towards our Little Heroes Care Program, an amazing achievement and all thanks to the wonderful generosity of guests and sponsors.
We would also like to make a special mention of the major sponsors for the evening, including:
