The Children’s Heart Foundation Ghana have done it again! On June 7, 2014, the charity held its annual fundraiser to raise money for underprivileged Ghanaian children requiring open heart surgery for their congenital heart conditions. The theme of this momentous event was The Oscars, Hollywood through the years. There was great anticipation and excitement in Accra for those who were lucky enough to get a ticket to this exclusive event before the event was sold out.
The night lived up to its billing of Old Hollywood glamour from the moment guests arrived at the spectacular Omayne Hall at the LaBadi. Beach Hotel. They were greeted by a dazzling red carpet flanked with two large Oscar statues amid the flashing light bulbs of the paparazzi (press) as they jockeyed to get pictures of the glamorous guests as they arrived to partake in the evenings gala activities.
Upon entering the cocktail area guests were greeted by smiling ushers offering them an array of cool welcoming beverages. The Cocktail area was beautifully decorated with the Hollywood theme as the movie scores of many movies was wafting through the State of the art surround system. Guests streamed in adorned in an array of exquisite bespoke evening gowns and tuxedos in a cheerful and joyful mood. Each guest happily posed for a formal official photograph in front of the large backlit CHF Ghana Hollywood sign. The smiles, the happy chatter, and the air of anticipation filled the air like the sweet nectar of a delicate flower. The guests used the 45 mins before the official start of the dinner to catch up with old friends and to make new ones.
At 8.p.m. sharp the doors to the magnificent Omayne Hall were opened to a breath taking Hollywood themed room; complete with gold and black Hollywood sign and magical twinkling stars suspended from the ceiling across the room. As the candles twinkled on each table the gold and black decor of the tables glowed ethereally. The guests gasped in admiration as they took in the exquisite decor and ambiance of the room as the musical scores of major motion pictures filled the room and enveloped each guest.
The Children’s Heart Foundation Ghana trustees and their volunteers then proceeded to raise the curtain on a fun filled, well organized series of activities that included some of Ghana’s major actors and actresses headlined by none other than Funny Face himself. In true Funny Face style he had the audience roaring with laughter. In addition to the comedic segment there was an accessory fashion show highlighting phenomenal Ghana made jewelry that the audience was invited to buy right off the models as the moved through the audience. Amidst the verbal and visual delights the guests were invited to partake in the silent auction was being held with the major items up for bidding was two business class tickets in British airways to the UK!
In between all the activities the guests were enticed onto the dance floor to dance the night away to the oldie Goldie’s, Hiplife and R&B. Many times through out the night the tables emptied as if by magic and the dance floor overflowed with Hollywood styled ladies and gentlemen dancing to the familiar melodic tunes they had loved over the years.
The serious part of the night was when the President of the CHF Ghana Mrs. Jacqui Ahomka-Lindsay , addressed the audience reminding them of why they were there; what CHF does, and most important that the CHF Ghana needed the help of its donors, sponsors, corporate and individual to continue to meet the needs of the affected children who require the open heart surgery but their families cannot afford to pay for the operation. Mrs. Ahomka-Lindsay brief but heart felt address was immediately followed by their documentary which showcased some of the actual children and families that had benefited from the work of the Children’s Heart Foundation Ghana. From the looks on the faces of the guests the documentary had a profound effect as it drove home the point how they could ‘Have a heart…Save a life’.
It was soon time to present “the Oscar” awards to the top six financial donors, individual donor and the top 5 supporters in kind (Services or products) over the last 4 years! Each winner had their award presented to them by a celebrity. Making the award segment that much more stellar
And just when the audience was thinking the schedule of events had been concluded and they could just dance the night away, they were told of 5 members of the audience who also won awards for best dressed in different categories. The round of applause was thunderous as unsuspecting but glamorous ladies and gents were called to the stage to receive their trophy.
With program formalities finalized the DJ went into full gear playing great music until the wee hours of the morning. As the guests left they were heard to remark that this was the best CHF Ghana event yet and they had been so moved by the impact of what CHF Ghana was doing that they wanted to contribute in whatever way they can. Some were even heard to say “They have a heart and want to save a life” To make a donation or get involved call +233 505 522 488 or +233 241 059 446
