Sunday, 24 September was pretty remarkable for Monaco as a grand gala evening known as the Ocean Gala Dinner took place. The Ocean Gala Dinner in Monte Carlo Bay was held for the support of the British charitable organisation Caudwell Children, founded by English businessman John Caudwell. More than a hundred guests at the event joined together not only to plunge into the relaxed atmosphere of the evening, but also to try to help needy families by participating in a silent auction where exclusive lots were presented: Damien Hirst’s The Souls IV, a 4 day weekend in New York for two, a Rolling Stones poster signed by the band members, and much more.
To the sounds of saxophone music, guests began to gather on the open terrace of the hotel, and smiling ladies in shining dresses and men in sharp suits set the tone for the evening. Among the audience several important figures were spotted, including Mr. John Caudwell, former Formula 1 champion Mika Pauli Häkkinen, who appeared accompanied by his wife, Anastasia Gorshkova and Natalia Shapovalova.
Anastasia Gorshkova, Mrs. France 2017, was pleased to talk with HelloMonaco, discussing more the Ocean Gala Dinner:
“This evening is special and we are all very impressed with how it has turned out, as we were so eager to hold a charitable event that would do good! For me, this is the first charity event where I have acted as the host. For the event I even donated my lot, which offers 3 master classes in figure skating, which, in fact, I will give myself. As for the programme of the Ocean Gala Dinner, I would like to note that I was with Natalia Shapovalova, on the committee of the organisers of the event. For me the most vital moment of the gala will be its finale, that’s when we will be able to find out whether we managed to raise enough money to help families. We have chosen 4 families who need specific treatment; let’s hope that we will succeed. I believe that a silent auction was chosen with the idea that people who sincerely want to help can remain in the shadows, because they do not need to advertise themselves for carrying out good deeds.”
An interesting twist for us was a meeting with Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith, a businesswoman from London and formerly the largest shareholder and director of the Arsenal football club, she told HelloMonaco why she attended the Ocean Gala Dinner:
“I often attend this kind of events, as I have my charitable organisation in England, The Homestead Charitable Trust. My roots come from India and we decided to implement some projects there, having built an engineering school, where students are also being sponsored by us. Most initiatives concern education and health. Tonight I will certainly participate in the auction, but before that I should familiarise myself with the submitted lots.”
A representative of MSB events, which organised the Ocean Gala Dinner, also shared with HelloMonaco the key point of the evening:
“Our second edition of the gala is really exclusive, as the organisation Caudwell Children is quite famous in England and I am very glad to help John Caudwell in his charitable deeds. At this evening there is Mika Häkkinen, champion of Formula 1, and his wife was our partner in organising the evening. Austin Drage, finalist of the British show “X-Factor” will entertain guests with his performance, which will give the evening a special energy, just like the performance of the popular singer Tallia Storm. I really want all the guests to be happy this evening. Our goal is to raise enough money to help needy families. For example, last year, in the first edition of a charity event that was significantly smaller than today’s event, 171,000 pounds were raised with only 67 guests, which we obviously did not expect. All funds were donated to help an even larger number of families than was previously planned. We hope that this time we will manage to reach an even higher level!”
This evening the Ocean Gala Dinner was a combination of incredible events: fantastic music from the best European artists and musicians mixed with gastronomic delights from Michelin-starred chef, Marcel Ravin. The finale of the event will arrive when the results of the auctionare announced. Let’s hope that lots purchased anonymously during the gala will help achieve the main mission of the organisation Caudwell Children, which reads as follows: “to transform the lives of children and their families, enabling them to challenge the barriers that they face throughout childhood.”
The Ocean Gala Dinner was surely a splendid and worthwhile event for charity!
