A Night in Rajasthan

From the crisp coldness of a winter’s night, 300 guests emerged into the colour and dazzling spectacle of “A Night in Rajasthan” in the Shangri-La Hotel’s grand ballroom. The event was a stunning success, raising more than $136,000!
Guests were warmly greeted by Prabhakar and Abha Goswami, the founding directors of I-India who were flown out (sponsored privately) especially for the event.
The Grand Ballroom was transformed into a rich and exotic slice of India.  Manjit and Deep from Manjit’s Total Events Management created the atmosphere with beautiful theming, Indian entertainment and the authentic Indian cuisine.  The beautifully presented dishes with their delicate aromas and intricate flavours created an exciting taste journey, taking guests on an Indian food adventure.  As this was our first major event, Manjit took us under his wing and provided guidance and support along the way.  This was extremely comforting and important, and we couldn’t have done it without his warm kindness, patience and generous attention.  Manjit, the success of the event is a direct result of your care and expertise.
Cassegrain Winery from the Port Macquarie region donated the wine that was liberally served and thoroughly enjoyed by all.  This extraordinarily generous donation is greatly appreciated.  Guests may purchase the wines they enjoyed on the night directly from Cassegrain, with the winery donating a significant amount to I-India.  Liz Giles organised everything beforehand and on the night, Shane Nichols provided guests with samples of other special Cassegrain wines that are also available for purchase.  Thank you John Cassegrain, for your amazing support!
Guests thoroughly enjoyed traditional sitar and tabla music (played by renown master Yama).  The exquisite beauty of young Indian dancers lead by Annie Pathania enthralled guests with their lithe graceful movements and the glorious vibrancy of their elaborate costumes and dazzling jewellery.
Max Walker who has personally visited I-India in Jaipur, hosted the event with his trademark wit and entertaining anecdotes.  His personable character and casual style meant that we couldn’t help but like him tremendously!  He interviewed our young hero, cricketer Shane Watson about his recent experiences in India during the IPL series and his reasons for becoming patron of I-India Project Australia.  Shane expressed the deep concern he feels about the dreadful plight of so many street children who struggle for their daily existence, and his desire to help however he can.  Thank you, Shane Watson and lovely Lee Furlong for being our patrons.  Shane’s high profile, particularly in India where he has superstar status will open doors and make our job easier.  Thank you also to Brett and Liz Lee for being a part of the evening.  Your presence was very special and appreciated.
Acknowledgement should be given here to Judie Anderson from Insite who believed in us from the start.  Her personal experiences in India when she accompanied their “boys” for the IPL were keenly felt.  When she read about our project which was kindly introduced by Corey Richards, she became a very important person to us.  Pip McConachie from Colvins has been wonderful in looking after our communications.  Many thanks to Insite and Colvin Communications for your meaningful support.
Celia Barnett spoke about how I-India Project Australia was born out of a trip to Jaipur to see the work I-India does with street children.  She was deeply affected by what she saw and supporting I-India’s work has become a major focus of her life.  Prabhakar and Abha Goswami thanked everyone for attending and supporting I-India's work with street children.
Melbourne photographer Richard Kendall spent time with the children on the streets of India and with the rescued children who are being cared for by I-India. His photographs are intensely moving, and we are so privileged to have been allowed to use them on the large overhead screens.  They served as a stark reminder while we were enjoying the splendour of Indian culture, that there is a much sadder and desperate side to the country.  Richard’s extraordinary images can be viewed on his website www.richvisuals.com.au.  Thank you, Richard, for your allowing us special use of your stunning works of art.
Sincere thanks to Madan Lepcha from Linkit Blue Productions for his expert camera work and Raj Natarajan from United India Association for organising and donating Madan’s services to film the night. 
Many guests had entered into the spirit of the event and had gone to great trouble to complement the theme.  Of course the Indian ladies were strikingly beautiful in their gorgeous saris and glittering jewels, but the prizes for the best dressed were awarded to non-Indians - Dianne Taylor and Thos Hodgson, who looked fabulous.  Of course there were many others who also deserved to be recognised, but we only had one Lindt Hamper and one hamper from The Body Shop to present.
Bountiful gifts and prizes were enthusiastically snapped up by excited guests.  These items of quality and distinction were graciously donated by the open-hearted Julie Thoms from Holly Riva, Bruce Hutchins from Ransal, Uri Ferster from Frostbland and Ashok Vaswani from Trident Creations.  Thank you so much Julie, Bruce, Uri and Ashok!
Air Pacific generously donated flights for two to Fiji for the major raffle prize.  The lucky winners, Timothy and Anna Cropley will be staying at the Sheraton Fiji Resort on Denarau Island.  Victor Sharan’s beautiful daughter Reshma Sharan drew the winners and presented the prizes.  The second prize (Moonlight Lady Cruise) was kindly donated by the benevolent Joan Pearson, the third (Degustation dinner for two) by Watermark Restaurant and the fourth ($150 voucher) by Sweet Fantasy Cakes.
The eloquent Peter Baldwin, Richardson and Wrench’s chief auctioneer created excitement and intense thrust to the bidding in the live auction.  Thank you for donating your time and exceptional auctioneering expertise, Peter.
The live auction items were generously donated by

1. Kawal Gujral (Original unique 3-part silk painting)
2. Tempur Beds (Revolutionary pressure-relieving bed)
3. Greg Gates (Significant sporting memorabilia – a Don Bradman cricket bat)
4. Fox Sports, Channel Nine, WIN NBN and Val Morgan ($55,000 worth of advertising)
5. Shane Watson, Insite and the Bavarian Bier Café (A night out with Shane and another cricketing personality)
6. The Gazal family (Luxury cruise for 16, fully catered, with skipper and hostess)
7. Jet Airways (Domestic flights within India), Connaught Hotel New Delhi, Rajdarshan Hotel Udaipur, Samode Hotels Jaipur, Shahpura House Jaipur and Lake Resort Naukuchiatal and Cultural Safaris.

Winning bidders were presented with traditional Indian garlands by our beautiful volunteer hostesses.
Thank you to Michael Gazal, Gazal Corporation for buying the $55,000 worth of advertising for $30,000.  Adam Oakes from Fox Sports ($25,000), David Gyngell and Peter Wiltshire from Channel 9 ($10,000) Matt Evans from WIN NBN and Paul Booth and Selina Martin from Val Morgan ($10,000) - your willingness to help Indian street children in such an extraordinary way will be appreciated by many hundreds of little ones, desperate for opportunities to break out of the poverty cycle, and the benefits of your donations will be appreciated for many decades.  Thank you to Tracie Michael and Bruce Mundell from Mindshare, for all your efforts to secure such an unbelievably valuable package.
The Gazal family donated their luxury motor craft, a Sunseeker 64, with full catering for 16 people, skipper and hostess for 10 hours on the harbour.  When this was enthusiastically competed for, raising $7,500, they then donated two more packages to the two underbidders!  Thank you Michael, David and Richard!
67 desirable and unique silent auction items were donated by many wonderful companies and individuals.  They included a “cultural evening” with Scott Cam, and an autographed “Max & Me” bat (photo taken on the night and framed with bat autographed by Max Walker.  A full list of our kind supporters is below.
A new silent auction bidding system was specially designed and built by Martin Strommer.  It allowed guests to place their bids and monitor them on the two large overhead screens without leaving the comfort and company of their tables.  Thank you Martin, for all your brilliant work!
Jewellery that was lovingly and beautifully made by students of the Ladli Vocational Training Centre in Jaipur, run by I-India was for sale in the foyer.  Ladies were entranced by the unique designs and quality of the items.  The founder of the Ladli vocational training centre, Katrina Barker, made the trip to Sydney to set up and run this stand on the night, and with help from Leah and Ali, they almost sold out!
Jelly Bean Jam hit the stage at 10 pm and had everyone up showing off their great dance moves.   
Of course the event could never have happened if it wasn’t for the wonderful group of dedicated and hardworking volunteers.  To each and every one of you, a very big thank you!  And thank you to Tammy Pall from Trimex for thoughtfully donating such extraordinary thank you gifts for the volunteers!  It certainly helped ease their weariness at the end of the night! 
Our hardworking and indefatigable committee consists of Sam Court, Ron Yeo, Renate Barnett, Natalie Court, Michelle Lombard, Martin Strommer, Marc Dunn, Fionna Ward, Craig Barnett, Christiane Hock and Celia Barnett.  It has been such a pleasure working with you!  Perhaps we will now lose a few kilos without the weekly pizza, wine and chocolate binge!

And of course the event would have not come to anything at all without the wonderful enthusiastic and generous support of our guests. Thank you one and all for embracing our cause.  Together we will make a difference in so many young lives.

 

 

Accoutrement, Mosman
Adam Oakes
Adrian Cardiacos
Air Pacific
Alexandra Koytz
Alice Tan
Amalgamated Textiles
Angelos on the Bay, Cabarita
Anna & Barbara Fienberg, authors - Tashi Series
Annie Pathania
Anokhi, Balmain
Antonino Tati
Australia Post
Bavarian Bier Café
Belinda Brooks
Benn Beinssen
Berowra Waters Inn
Bistro Lilly, Sydney CBD
Brad Burridge
Bridge Climb
Brooke Taylor
Bruce Hutchins
Bruce Mundell
C H Design
Captain Cook Cruises
Cassegrain Winery
Celia Barnett
Channel 9
Christiane Hock
Christopher Hanna Hair
Collections International
Connaught Hotel, New Delhi
Corey Richards
Craig Barnett
Cream Magazine
Cultural Safaris
Cypress Lakes Resort
D Sharma
Danny Cahalan
Data#3 Limited
Daniel Stefanic
David Gazal
David Gyngell
David Moore
David Thompson
David Zylstra
Deep Gujral
De Luca Gelato
Designa Accessories
Desiree Buist
Directions International
Fields of Beauty
Fionna Ward
Fox Sports
Frostbland Cosmetics
Gajendra Kumar
Gallery Orientique, Birkenhead Point
Gary Weiss
Gazal Corporation
Gazal Family
Gifts for Kids
Golden Century, Moore Park
Hannanprint
Harris / D E Pty Ltd
Heamant Narayanan
Hiscoes Fitness Club
Holly Riva
House Wares International
Ian Davis
Ian Mayer, Sydney City Toyota
Il Tratto Ra Ro, Concord
IMAX Theatre
India Tourism
Insite Organisation
Jeremy Sargeant
Jet Airways
Joan Pearson
Joe Libertini
John Cassegrain
Judie Anderson
Julie Thomms
Kamla Sheppard
Kate Harding
Katrina Barker
Kawal Gujral
Ken Done
Konstantina Georgoulas
Kylie Hourigan
Lake Resort, Naukuchiatal
Lee Furlong
Lees Fortuna Court, Crows Nest
Lenovo Australia & New Zealand
Les Veil
Lights for You
Lindt & Sprungli
Linen and Moore
Linkit Blue Productions
Lion Nathan
Liz Giles
Luigi De Luca
Luminous Lifestyle
Madan Lepcha
Mani Shankar Aiyar
Manjit Gujral
Manjit’s Total Event Management
Marc Dunn
Marie Piccin
Marigold Restaurant, Haymarket
Martin Strommer
Matilda Prints
Matt Evans
Maurice Wolfsohn
Max Bolkovsky
Max Walker
Media Travel
Michael Gazal
Michelle Lombard
Mindshare
Mon Tresor
Mr Mendirata
Mr and Mrs Singh
Mr & Mrs Verma
Natalie Court
Nautica
Nicole Sawyere
Nu’s Restaurant, McMahons Point
Oroginale Jewellery, Birkenhead Point
Oroton Group
Osh Kosh
Oz Trek
Pacific Brands, Sporting Division
Partners Hair, Glebe
Paul Booth
Pawan Singh
Peter Baldwin
Peter Wiltshire
Pip McConachie
Rajdarshan Hotel, Udaipur
Rajeev Shukla
Raj Natarajan
Ransal
Renate Barnett
Richard Gazal
Richard Kendall
Richardson & Wrench
Riena Voxx
Ron Yeo
Rose of Australia, Erskineville
Rose-Marie Hillier
Sally Nowland
Sally McDonald
Salsa Republic
Sam Court
Samode Hotels, Jaipur
Samsung
Saroj Ramrakha
Sass & Bide
Scott and Ann Cam
Selina Martin
Shahpura House, Jaipur
Shane Nichols
Shane Watson
Shearer's Bookshop, Leichhardt
Sheraton on the Park
Sheridan
Sherrylanne McLeod
Simms
Skye Group
South Sydney Travel
Strathfield Picture Framing
Stuart Chapman
Sunshades Eyewear
Suzanna Vasilevski
Sweet Fantasy Cakes, Bankstown
Sydney Aquarium
Sydney Theatre Company
Sydney Tower
Tammy Pall
Taronga Zoo / Western Plains Zoo
Telstra
Thai Patong, Newtown
The Body Shop
Tracie Michael
Trevor Johnston
Trident Creations
Triforce Australia
Trimex Australia
United India Association
Uri Ferster
Val Morgan
Van Heusen
Victor Sharan
Watermark Restaurant, Balmoral Beach
WIN NBN
Yen and Toohey Nguyen