The Grocery Charity Ball 2009

In 2009, the Trustees reverted back to having just one beneficiary for the Grocery Charity Ball. StarJam did a great presentation - they were both passionate and practical and the Trustees were impressed with what StarJam was achieving with very few resources. It was obvious that the donation from the 2009 Ball would make a real difference to what they could accomplish in the future.

StarJam creates events and environments where people with disabilities can have the opportunity to express their gifts and talents - and the general public can in turn experience those gifts and talents.

Started in April 2002 when Julian Lloyd Webber (on a concert tour in New Zealand at the time) was invited to jam with 10 year-old Katherine Rees, StarJam was launched in November the same year with the inaugural “Stars Thru Their Eyes” show, which featured eight young people interviewing celebrities.

Since the launch, StarJam has produced eight major shows, performed at more than a dozen special occasions for conferences and events, as well as taken a number of young people on ‘jamming’ trips to the USA. The list of stars that have become involved with StarJam is a celebrity "who's who" - from Kiwis like Peter Jackson, Lucy Lawless and Dave Dobbyn - to international mega-stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito and Dick Van Dyke.

For more information, visit www.starjam.org.nz.

Annual Grocery Charity Ball

After the coldest week in many a year, revellers at the annual Grocery Charity Ball let off steam at one of the best Balls in the past eight years. Perhaps it was the masquerade theme that kept many guests incognito, maybe it was a sign that the recession is over, or maybe it was a reaction to it snowing in Auckland; whatever it was, people had an absolute ball.

Once again, an amazing sum of money was raised during the evening - $235,000. This year the beneficiary was The Hearing House. The funds raised from the 2011 Grocery Charity Ball will help deaf and hearing-impaired children reach their full social and academic potential by ensuring they can listen and speak at the same level as their hearing peers.

Masked revellers took advantage of the Grocery Charity Ball Photobooth iPhone App to upload their pictures, and at times it was difficult to get people away from the Silent Auction tables, such was the interest shown for the many great items on display.

The hilarious Dai Henwood was an interesting choice as Master of Ceremonies and his wicked sense of humour went down well with particular sections of the audience and not just those who may have been over imbibing.

Craig Davson and Heather Brocket lived up to their reputation as stunning entertainers, with outstanding performances of some old favourites.

The evening saw the crowd open their wallets,and this year’s Ball took the accumulated grants made by the Grocery Charity Ball Trust over the last eight years to just under $2million.

This is a remarkable tribute to the grocery industry, and positions the Grocery Charity Ball as New Zealand’s most ‘giving’ charity evening. Both The Hearing House and the Trustees have been humbled by the industry’s continued generosity.

“Another great success,” said Grocery Charity Ball Trust Chairman, Don Graham. “The support the industry gives the Ball is unbelievable”

You can see photos of the ball at the Grocery Charity Ball Photo Stream by clicking here. Or view the official photo's on the QuikPix website.