SINGAPORE. The Moodie Davitt Smile Raising Charity Dinner last night raised over US$200,000 in funds and pledges for international cleft charity Smile Train, aided by the extraordinary generosity of the travel retail community and a heartwarming initiative by King Power Group Hong Kong Group CEO and APTRA President Sunil Tuli.
The sold-out event attracted more than 250 guests to Hotel Fort Canning in Singapore, with strong support from companies and individuals across the sector. Funds were raised through seat bookings, donations and live and silent auctions on a memorable night, which together with the Tuli fundraiser announced on the night (see below), ensured an outstanding result for Smile Train.
Opening the evening, The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie said: “Our sector stands for more than world-class retailing. It has an outstanding heritage of giving back to those in need, to the dispossessed, to the underprivileged, to the abused, to the excluded.
“Tonight is ready evidence of our global community’s continued upholding of that proud tradition of generosity as we focus on a cause close to our heart over the last 21 years – Smile Train.
“Smile Train is a cleft charity. An exceptional one, whose model of ‘Teach a man or woman to fish’ is based on developing epicentres of cleft treatment expertise in countries and communities around the globe, rather than a flying doctor model, thus ensuring the best possible treatment, after care, therapy and guidance.
“I have visited several Smile Train Clinics down the years. They are often housed in humble surroundings but they are simply places of wonder. They offer a gift more priceless than even our amazing industry can offer. The gift of a smile.”
Moodie announced that Sunil Tuli plans a 12-day, 5,400-metre ascent to Mount Everest Base Camp starting on 1 September. In the process he plans to raise at least US$35,000. By the end of the evening, Tuli had reached that mark in pledges from guests in the room alone.
The Moodie Davitt Report announced a donation of US$10,000 to Smile Train, including US$2,500 towards Tuli’s Base Camp trek.
Others to speak movingly about the work of Smile Train were the charity’s Senior Vice President and Regional Director, Asia Mamta Carrol and Gulnar Adenwalla, wife of the late Dr. Hirji S. Adenwalla who treated thousands of children at Jubilee Mission Hospital in the southern Indian city of Thrissur.
The evening was also memorable for a rousing live auction, which raised many thousands of dollars, led by Duty Free Global Founder Commercial Director Barry Geoghegan, following many generous donations of prizes from the travel retail community. This included many online pre-bids. ✈
PICTURE GALLERY
