ASTANA – The Sixth Winter Charity Masquerade Ball, one of the capital city’s most prestigious annual events, held Dec. 7, 2013 in Astana, raised more than 13 million tenge for children in local orphanages and local families in need.
Over the past five years, the Winter Charity Ball has contributed more than $120,000 to local orphanages. In 2014, a record 13,031,000 tenge (US$84,616) will be spent on educational programmes for orphans and children from families in need.
Since 2012, the Winter Charity Ball has been held in cooperation with the Bolashak Charitable Foundation. The $82,733 raised at the Fifth Winter Charity Ball went to help children connected with the SOS Children’s Village Astana. The money helped eight orphans enter local universities and colleges. Part of the proceeds were also used to repair two orphanage buildings and purchase equipment for children with special needs from the Children’s Psycho-Neurological Medical and Social Institution of Astana.
“The Sixth Winter Charity Masquerade Ball 2013 has been our most successful event. The response has been remarkable. The turnout for this evening speaks for itself and we are honoured to host this event at Radisson Hotel Astana. It’s important that we keep working on fundraising initiatives. It is not the easiest task, but it is more than worth it. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to each and every one of you for contributions and special thanks to our sponsors for providing the necessary support to make this event possible,” said Fedor Filimonov, general manager of Radisson Hotel Astana and Park Inn by Radisson Astana.
The event opened with remarks by Radisson Hotel Astana parent company Incom Astana LLC Director General Erik Zhussupov, Bolashak Association Chairman Bauyrzhan Baibek and Altyn Kyran International Charitable Foundation CEO Islambek Salzhanov.
The event welcomed a group of young debutantes and cavaliers who had the honour of presenting Polonaise, Irish ceili, Viennese, Spanish, Scottish waltzes and ragtime. The participants auditioned months before the ball and spent weeks learning traditional Viennese waltzes.
The opening ceremony was followed by a performance by international pop star and classical music crossover singer Arina Domski, who performed music from the world-famous “The Phantom of the Opera.” The event also included a performance by Latvian classical accordionist Kseniya Sidorova and young members of the SOS Children’s Village Astana, who sang Christmas carols.
The ball also included a raffle presided over by master of ceremonies Aigul Mukei that offered the chance to win a selection of jewelry from Chantecler Jewellery House and Pasha Fine Jewellery& Watch Salon,” as well as valuable prizes from some of the capital’s best beauty salons, such as Toni&Guy, Sisters and Escada fashion store.
In addition to the raffle, an auction of contemporary Kazakh art was held with paintings by famous Kazakh artists, such as Uliya Moldagali, Leyla Mahat and Nelly Bube. Famous Kazakh writer Bakhyt Kairbekov also
presented one of his books for auction.
Sponsors of the event were Altyn Kyran International Charitable Foundation, Kazkommertsbank, Poligrafiya Naira, the Nur Otan political party, as well as volunteers of Best for Kids Social Fund and Oasis of Astana.
The auction was sponsored by Kulanshi Contemporary Art Centre and the raffle was sponsored by Pasha Fine Jewellery and Watch Salon, Chantecler Jewellery House, Chekhov restaurant, Sisters beauty salon, and Toni&Guy beauty salon, Escada Fashion Store.
The event was jointly organized for the second time by a division of The Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Radisson Hotel Astana as part of its Responsible Business Programme and the Bolashak Charitable Foundation.
