Dear Friends of Akamasoa!
I have a pleasure to inform you that our spirit of Charity is well alive! To ‘warm up’ ahead of our then approaching 16th Charity Night, on Thursday the 3rd of July, our longstanding benefactors Francesca Chow and Betty Lee, have organised at Betty’s place (Centennial Park) a half day ‘brunch’ dedicated to our children at Akamasoa in Madagascar. Abundantly furnished tables in two rooms were attracting participants to open largely their wallets acquiring beautifully crafted jewellery, nicely knitted items, jars of delicious jam and artefacts from Madagascar.
Danuta Aaron has also done great job running tombola that day. Those present, very much appreciated the refreshments provided by Betty Lee. There was variety of tasty hot and cold food with large choices of sweets accompanied with coffee or tea. That day we added $3,857.00 into our account for Akamasoa! On behalf of the beautiful and grateful children from Akamasoa: thank you ALL and may God bless you always! Fr Jan
The success of the 16th CHARITY NIGHT was the result of many months of assiduous preparation, involving lots of contacts, personal encounters and discussions…
Thank God, we were not short of the goodwill of friends making this event a beautiful expression of unity embracing with love our Friends at Akamasoa.
As usual, at 4.30 pm on Friday the 24th of October, two teams started the preparation of the parish hall and the kitchen…
Kitchen cleaning took Marie Claire Perrine’s group of three a lot of effort to prepare the kitchen and its facilities for the night…
Jeannette Beaudoin alongside with her team took care of the parish hall decorations and setting of tables.
Saturday afternoon the food started to arrive and Gerard Clément’s DJ equipment took to the stage with the decorations brought by our soloist for the evening: Georges Maurice.
By 5pm everything was ready with Sinisita Filitoga as our MC for the evening and the welcomers at the doors to greet the guests.
The first guests began to arrive around 5.30 pm, with His Grace, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Apostolic Nuncio, being the first. He was followed by the General Consuls of France (Mr Eric Berti) and Madagascar (Mr Anthony Knox), John Mac Coll (Honorary Councillor of the Assembly of French People Abroad) with his partner Aylene Fraser and Sebastien Vallerie (Consul Advisor – Australia, Fiji and Papua New-Guinea).
They were joined at table for the guests of honour by Sister Telsia Talalua (looking in Sydney’s hospitals after the sick from Wallis-Futuna), Father Susitino Sionepoe (Wallisian priest based in Futuna Island), PP from Liverpool: Fr Remy Lam and our most senior among participants: Lily Schmitt (aged 92) cuddling at some stage the youngest of friends of Madagascar: Joseph Talivakaola (15 months).
Our diner began at 7pm sharp with our MC welcoming our guests of honour with the grace said by His Excellency Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Paul Gallagher, thus giving us adequate time for the lovers of dance after dinner.
All the participants appreciated the variety, quality and presentation of food available which was served from two stations in the hall to facilitate the smooth running of the buffet.
Around 8.30pm George Maurice presented his repertoire for the evening, beginning with a duet with Elsa Clement giving us all the pleasure of listening to the young talent of the Mauritian Community.
Between the main meal and the dessert, I expressed my joy and my appreciation at seeing for so many faithful friends of the poor in Madagascar, who for the last 16 years have gathered together for our Charity Night. Three years ago our event provided Fr Pedro’s Akamasoa endeavour with $70000 permitting him to build ten 60m2 dwellings. Last year, we sent over $61000 providing for almost five months: rice, bins and medicaments, permitting the poor children to attend school classes and an urgent medical care for the sick.
In expectation of the installation of the new bishop in Farafangana (in order to resume our help for the poor in the South-East Cost of Madagascar), we gathered this year again for Akamasoa.
During the course of the evening there was time for dancing, for visits to the stand with beautifully presented artefacts from Madagascar and handcrafts made locally by Francesca Chow in aid of our poor in Madagascar. She has been helped with sales by Veronique Empeigne and Peter De Zilva with his wife Malika.
As usual, the lotteries were of great interest to all the present, especially to our Italian friends of the poor who bought thousands of tickets before our event. Aylene Fraser drew the great lottery and Sister Telesia Talaloa the ‘lucky door’ one.
I take opportunity here to thank our generous sponsors mentioned here below and congratulate the winners.
1. Oil painting (“South from Narrow Neck – Blue Mountains”) by David Robert Hill valued at $2500.00 –donated by Joseph Nohra & the artist. Won by lottery ticket number: 07551
2. Microwave oven (Whirlpool AMW 737 IX) valued at $1,200.00 donated by Maeva & Roger Franchi from «Schmidt Kitchens» Won by lottery ticket number: 01791
3. Voucher $1,000.00 from Costco – donated by «International Ceramics» Won by lottery ticket number: 07051
4. Accommodation Gift Voucher valued at $570 (3 nights in a Delux Room for two at the Peninsula Nelson Bay) from «Valore Cellars» Won by lottery ticket number: 03182
5. Voucher $500.00 donated by «Cadry’s Persian Carpets Specialists» at Edgecliff valid one year. Won by lottery ticket number: 07460
6. Voucher $500.00 from Myer – donated by Nadia Fortuné, Won by lottery ticket number: 04594
7. Gourmet hamper valued at $250.00 – donated by Guy Roose from «Apromo Pty Ldt». Won by lottery ticket number: 09800
8. Voucher valued at $200.00 for ‘Bella Fonte’ Restaurant at Comfort Inn Hunts Liverpool valid until 31/03/15; donated by Sybra & Harry Hunt, Won by lottery ticket number: 03533
9. Gift Basket valued at $150.00 – donated by «GJ Food». Won by lottery ticket number: 08804
10. Gift Basket valued at $150.00 – donated by “Dolci D’oro” at St. Peters, Won by lottery ticket number: 09015
11. Gift Basket valued at $100.00 – donated by «Petersham LiquorMarket». Won by lottery ticket number: 06249
12. 2 Vouchers each valued at $50.00 donated by «Ganache Pâtisserie Française» at Castlecrag, Won by lottery ticket number: 07821
Also with gratefulness I would like to mention the donors to the 'Lucky Door' lottery: Marie Therese Barnes, Jeannette Beaudoin, Liliane Dubourdieu, Michele Fortin, Rosa Polo, Anne Marie Puaud, Nadia Schwarz and Ghislaine Soler.
The 16th Charity Night concluded with dancing and then cleaning of the hall… Doors locked at 11.30pm and the happy organisers able to enjoy a well-deserved rest.
Photos taken by Pierre Brunet from "Mauritius Studio" don't have a date on them. Those with a date were taken by myself (Fr Jan).
In conclusion, I would like to acknowledge the valuable contribution of the following individuals and organisations:
1. The members of the Marie-Claire Perrine kitchen friends some of them cooking/preparing food for the evening and some providing services : Juanita & Bill Chidiac, Danielle & Gervais Joseph, Jocelyne & Hervé Juste, Françoise & Bruno Nourdine, Marie Claire & Alphonse Perrine, Joanne & Nicleys Perrine, Patricia & Ralph Pudman, Noëlle Sidonie & Yves Maugheret and Marie Claire & Noël Theophile. Special thanks also to Nadia & Laurent Schwarz from ‘C’est Si Bon’ at Rose Bay, to Leanne & Didier Sockeel from ‘Ganache’ at Castlecrag, to Francesca Chow and her generous friends (Sybra & Harry Hunt, Teresa Cuomo), Dina & Mario Iunius from ‘International Ceramics'.
2. The members of Jeannette Beaudoin team: Sinisita Filitoga, Michel & Bernard Fortin, Mario Iunius, Andrew Jelavic, Maryse & Georges Maurice, Ghyliane Nemorin, Shaun Nemorin, Ghislaine & Gilbert Soler, Emmauelle Soler and Helene & Jean Louis Worobec.
3. Sinisita Filitoga for her role as MC.
4. Gerard Glement and his son Kevin for accompanying us with music.
5. Worth of appreciation are also:
• ‘Abian Press’ for their help in preparing 10000 great lottery tickets,
• ‘A&L Florist’ for providing beautiful bouquets of flowers for the tables,
• ‘Flavours from Afar’ for abundance of orangina and variety of lemonade bottles on all tables with beautiful souvenirs of handy bottle openers and hundreds of round boxes of very tasty smal lolly drops.
• ‘Valore Cellars’ for offering a dozen of white and red wine bottles for the table of our guests of honour.
Thank God, response to our appeal has been very gratious!
This is a breakdown of our fund raising activities in relation to the 16th Charity Night:
– brunch (F.Chow/B.Lee): 3,857.00
– donations: 33,674.16
– lottery: 18,866.00
– participants’ contributions: 13,500.00
– sales: 2,754.95
Total: 72,652.11
Our only expense: Parish Hall hire 500.00 sponsored partially ($300) by Abruzzi Association of NSW.
Final Total for this 16th Charity Night appeal: 72,152.11
Once again, gratefully in Christ to ALL: Fr Jan
P.S.
The sum of $30,125.91 was transfered on Friday 16th January into the account of Caritas Madagascar in Antananarivo, and then into the fund of Akamasoa.
After deduction of administration fee the Catholic Mission transfered directly into the Akamasoa fund: $38,196.00 ($37,000.00 on 15th March and $1196.00 on 24th March)
* 5% of fee apply to the donations from January to April 2014 ($7460) and 10% from May to December 2014 ($34,539.20).