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TICKETS are being snapped up for one of the kingdom’s glitziest annual events – The Think Pink Gala Ball at the Gulf Hotel’s Exhibition Centre on October 28.
Amongst the celebrities with be Bahrain’s star Olympic sailor Sami Al Kooheji, Think Pink Bahrain’s goodwill ambassador, who has helped raise the profile of the breast cancer awareness charity.
Master of Ceremonies for the evening will be Steve Harrison, executive director and international advisor to the CEO of Bahrain’s Economic Development Board.
Organisers say that the demand for tickets has been staggering with only four of the 70 tables-for-10 still available. The rest have been snapped up by corporate sponsors and individuals at BD30 per head who are putting aside worries about the global economic slump for one night.
Alongside the eagerly- awaited auction and raffle prizes, guests can be ready for a variety of treats including a special three-course meal prepared by the five-star hotel’s chefs.
Founder of Think Pink Bahrain, Jules Sprakel, said that the Gala Ball is one of the main fundraisers for the charity every year, and despite the economic pressures of recent times, people have always rallied behind the cause and supported the event.
She said: “It attracts a variety of people. A lot more local Bahrain companies are coming onboard and the patrons are both Bahraini nationals and expatriates. Some people attend many of the fund-raising functions, some just this event ... it is their way of donating.
“Good or bad economic years, breast cancer diagnosis doesn’t change and the overall goal is awareness. The new collaborations with the local hospitals – American Mission Hospital, Bahrain Defence Force Royal Medical Services, King Hamad University Hospital and Salmaniya Medical Complex – means that we are working together with the same information and in the same direction.
“Charity is not a competition and knowledge should be shared – that’s what I am most proud of this year.”
BD10 of every ticket sold at the gala event goes towards the charity. Last year the event raised BD35,000 and organisers are hoping to significantly raise the bar this time out. Jules said: “It’s a big push and we have taken it as far as we can. We have a huge target and we are hoping to receive private donations from companies and individuals.
“Corporate sponsors not only get showcased at the gala, social networking sites and our website but they also have the opportunity to have a lecture given to their staff outside the month of October. This is part of the proposal: sponsorship along with funding and education.”
World over, this month, people are working overtime to raise breast cancer awareness and the kingdom’s charity champions are hoping to raise money for the purchase of a BD880,000 digital Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine for the Salmaniya Medical Complex. Only 30 per cent of the money has been raised so far.
The MRI machine is a diagnostic tool which helps detect breast cancer in younger patients and those at high risk. The purchase of this machine is vital, as statistics in Bahrain show that breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in the kingdom affecting women as young as 19.
For tickets details contact Anita Ghavami on 36553999.
