Champion Centre 40th Anniversary Gala

It was a night to remember for the 250+ guests who joined us to celebrate the Champion Centre’s 40th anniversary. Hosted at the Christchurch Art Gallery, Te Puna o Waiwhetū, on Saturday 13 October 2018, the black-tie fundraising gala was an auspicious occasion to celebrate 40 years’ service, supporting infants and young children with disabilities. Hosted by media personality, Mike McRoberts, the evening included decadent food and beverages; a powerful vocal tribute by Naomi Ferguson; reflections from past and present Champion Centre families; speeches and a toast from our founder Dr Patricia Champion and Centre Director Dr Susan Foster- Cohen; an exhilarating live auction, rallied by auctioneer Lisa Yardley; and the launch of a new donor programme ‘Donate the Difference’ which was announced by Christchurch Mayor, Lianne Dalziel. 

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The numbers are in... Not only was the evening an opportunity to celebrate all that the Champion Centre has achieved, but it was a chance to acknowledge our valued supporters, and reinforce the need for us to dig deep to ensure that the vital services of the Champion Centre can support many more families well into the future. Over $110,000 was raised on the night, thanks to the enormous amount of generosity from all of the evening’s guests. We were truly overwhelmed with the level of support, and once again thank everyone who attended and supported the event. A special thanks There are so many individuals and organisations who helped make the night such a great success.

A huge heartfelt thanks to all the evening’s volunteers and supporting acts, to the many businesses who generously donated towards our auction and raffles prizes: and our supporting partners: Fulton Hogan, White Tie Catering, van Asch Wines, Mount Brown, Giesen, DB, Barkers of Geraldine, Theme Pro, Pixel, Linton Photography, Imagic, Dynamic Controls, Bounce, AC Lighting, and ASB. And of course, none of this could have been possible without the support, in the lead up and on the night, of our incredible Major Sponsors. A huge thanks to Saunders and Co, Spanbild, Ilam Toyota and Meadow Mushrooms for backing our anniversary celebration.