More than 560 people attended the event on Saturday evening, 8. October, on 20. Red Cross Ball in Geneva. Two auctions at the charity event raised 1,035,000 francs. Since the first Red Cross Ball was held, around CHF 12 million has been raised for projects in Switzerland and abroad.
Numerous personalities from the worlds of business, politics, culture and society gathered on the campus of the Haute école d’art et de design (HEAD) on Saturday evening for one of the biggest charity events of the year. Aim of the 20. Red Cross Ball in Geneva was to collect donations for Swiss Red Cross (SRC) projects in Lebanon and for Geneva Red Cross projects in Switzerland.
Supported projects
The Geneva Red Cross uses part of the donations collected for three specific projects: Individual and needs-based support for refugees and those affected by the Ukraine conflict, care for sick or suffering people in hospitals or at home, and access to dental treatment for “working poor”.
With the second part of the proceeds, the SRC is supporting Lebanon, which is going through a severe political, social and economic crisis. The projects in Lebanon, which are run in cooperation with the local Red Cross, focus on the basic needs of the most vulnerable groups. They enable the provision of emergency and basic medical care, the construction of autonomous and sustainable supply systems for drinking water and the operation of blood donation services, which are essential for the country.
The donations collected over the past 20 years have been used to support projects in over 25 countries.
An unforgettable evening
The evening was hosted by Mélanie Freymond, SRC ambassador, and Christa Rigozzi. The artists MB14, Hiba Tawaji and Martin Solveig delighted the audience with their musical performance. Michelin-starred chef Antonio Guida from the Seta restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental in Milan spoiled the guests with culinary delights.
An extraordinary commitment
The Red Cross Ball owes much of its success to the members of the Ball Committee and the volunteers of the Geneva Red Cross. HEAD students were involved in the implementation of the communication material.
