At the event. Source: BBGV

Though this year is the 11^th annual Saigon Summer Ball 2019, Saigonchildren continued to entertain and delight with an innovative new format at Ho Chi Minh City’s premier Charity Ball. On September 14, at the Park Hyatt Saigon, Saigonchildren hosted the Saigon Summer Ball, raising more than USD 185,000 to continue their work removing barriers to education for children across Vietnam.

The event was attended by Ian Gibbons, the British Consul General; Vincent Floreani, the French Consul General; and Julianne Cowley, the Australian Consul General; as well as Executives from multinational companies in Vietnam.

Sharing in the Ball, Alain Cany – Chairman of Saigonchildren Trustees said: “We continue to build one school a month in poor areas from the southern coast of Vietnam to the border with China in the north. This is a pretty major undertaking for a humble charity but it is worth it to help transform the future for isolated and ethnic minority communities around the country.”

The Saigon Summer Ball has long been a premier event in Vietnam. Taking place annually, the event always provides an evening of unrivalled dining experience, along with the opportunity to raise money for an excellent cause; to improve the lives of underprivileged children, helping them to reach their full potential.

This year, the event highlighted a virtual reality experience, which helps the donors experience the life of kids they support. Other innovative initiatives included electronic bidding for auction items by guests, an exclusive online-only Lucky Draw, as well as the elegant exhibition in the foyer.

2019 marks the 11^th year of the Saigon Summer Ball, with total funds raised after 11 years of USD 1,5 million (VND 34.8 billion). The event is to raise funds for all saigonchildren programmes: Special Needs Education, School Building, Getting Ready for Work and the Child Development Scholarship Programme. This year there was a special focus on autism education, including touching case studies of some of the children helped by saigonchildren.

Huong Nguyen, Head of programmes of saigonchildren shared: “Based on the results from our work, we believe that by providing autistic children appropriate early intervention, as early as possible, they can develop their full potential and live meaningfully and happily. Right now, we see poor parents travelling hundreds of kilometres just to get advice from our experts. Their dedication and love for their children is so clear – and we want to expand our autism education work so we can reach more of them and save them from not just a long journey, but from missing out on the potential of their child.”

Saxophonist Tran Manh Tuan helped make it a jazzy night with an impressive live performance.Singer Duc Tuan also contributed to the elegant evening with his performance of ‘Yeu’ and ‘Can take my eyes off you’.

The joyful and prestigious charitable night featured fine dining by executive chef Gordon Heath, premium champagne and fine wines from the Bordeaux Region, phenomenal artworks, and impressive live music performances.

The live auction of the Saigon Summer Ball was filled with exciting and exclusive packages supported by leading sponsors such as Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Cathay Pacific, British International School HCMC, EZ Land, SonKimLand, Café Ru Nam, Baan Asan, Cao Minh Saigon, and CAO Fine Jewelry./.