Skycity To Host Unique Charity Ball - Art Auction

21 April 2004

Media Release For Immediate Publication

Skycity To Host Unique Charity Ball And Art Auction
To Raise Funds For New National Burn Centre

SKYCITY will host a unique “Kites for Kidz” art auction and charity ball on Friday April 30 in the new SKYCITY Auckland Convention Centre to help raise funds for a new National Burn Centre.

The facility will be built at Middlemore Hospital in Counties Manukau, which is also home to Kidz First Children’s Hospital (of which SKYCITY is the founding sponsor of its burns and plastics unit). The National Burn Centre will provide highly specialised burn treatment and rehabilitation for the worst burn patients from across the country, both adults and children.

One in every hundred New Zealanders is burnt every year – the most severe will be treated at the National Burn Centre.

The “Kites for Kidz” charity ball and art auction will offer an evening of sophisticated dancing and dining and will feature an auction of 12 unique paintings on kite shaped canvases by premier New Zealand artists, Matthew Browne, Dick Frizzell, Max Gimblett, Judy Millar, Tim Finn (the renowned musician), Reuben Paterson, Don Peebles, John Pule, Michael Smither and Tim Wilson.

This week through to Saturday 24 April, the 12 pieces of art will be displayed in the SKYCITY Auckland atrium (above the escalator which goes up from the ground floor). Another preview of the “kites” will be offered on Tuesday 27 April from 5-7pm, at the Scott Dargaville Remuera Gallery, 360 Remuera Road, Auckland.

Tickets to the “Kites for Kidz” charity ball (from 7pm on Friday 30 April), cost $200 each or $2000 for a table of ten and are available through the South Auckland Health Foundation Events Committee (phone 09 276 0087) or e-mail suewalk@ihug.co.nz. To make an automatic $20 donation, phone 0900 4 Burn, visit www.burn.org.nz or post a cheque to the South Auckland Health Foundation, PO BOX 93320, Otahuhu Auckland.

The Auctioneer is Dunbar Sloane and the MC of the event is media personality Kerre Woodham.

SKYCITY is the major sponsor of the Kidz First Children's Hospital Burns and Plastics Unit. The Unit offers highly specialised burns treatment to children from the greater Auckland region and in very severe cases, from wider New Zealand. SKYCITY's support includes the development of several award-winning community education campaigns promoting the prevention and correct treatment of burns.

The new SKYCITY Auckland Convention Centre, which will host next Friday’s “Kites for Kidz” charity ball and art auction, opened for business on Monday (05 April 2004) and offers the largest multi functional convention facility in central Auckland City with capacity for up to 1200 (banquet function) and 1500 theatre style delegates. The first undertaking for the new convention centre was hosting the recent Propecia Rally of New Zealand headquarters.

The new convention centre is currently available for evening banqueting functions only and will not be open for multi-day or major daytime events until late July 2004 when the construction of the SKYCITY Grand Hotel 14 levels above it will not be disruptive to convention guests. The first grand scale conference confirmed is the prestigious Financial Planners and Insurance Advisors conference for 700 delegates in late July 2004.

Situated opposite SKYCITY Auckland, on Federal Street, the $140 million development represents the largest commercial project currently underway in the city. On completion, it will comprise five floors of convention centre and another 14 levels above will be the new SKYCITY Grand Hotel (scheduled to open in April 2005).

For enquiries and additional information phone SKYCITY sales/Conference general enquiries on 09 363 6070 or www.skycityconventions.co.nz.

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