Last Saturday, Rotary Club of North Sydney International Team put on a luncheon at King Dynasty Restaurant Chatswood for our Water Catchment for Kids in Kenya Project. Almost 80 people, including Trent Zimmerman MP Member for North Sydney, fellow Rotarians, friends and family, came to support us and filled the room with a wonderful atmosphere.
From the moment people walked in the door, many already spotted the array of colourful African artisanal handicrafts in our Market Corner. This also set off our Fern Valley Ranch marmalade and honey sales well before the luncheon kicked off!
After welcoming everyone we then handed over to our project partners, Sharon and Peter Crean from BeyondWater, who enlightened us with the activities and challenges that come with their work in East Africa.
PP Denis presenting our 1st installment funds raised to BeyondWater
Next came the Money Tree Stampede Raffle! Thanks to Toni and David Field, this red balloon raffle livened up the whole room and was probably the most fun people had while raising money! Congratulations to our own Jenny Thomas who won the $300 Money Tree!!!
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After finding out that a certain little boy in the room had been patiently waiting to play with these balloons, people began approaching Kai and tying their balloons around his little wrists. Needless to say, he was in heaven! |
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Guests also bought up big in our raffle and bid generously in our auction. The star item was a soapstone hippopotamus bowl that the Creans had brought all the way over from Kenya, which went for $280!
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Our last ‘surprise’ item in the auction was a nicely wrapped roll of toilet paper which was finally sold for $70!
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President Lily thanks the International Team
The banquet room
The International Team thanks all its wonderful helpers behind the scenes without whom this event would not have been the success that it was. We had a lot of fun and we hope all who came did too!
Sam & Jiji
International Team
International Team