CCRDF hosted its International Gala Fundraiser supported by Ambassadors to from Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Hungary, Mexico, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, the United States, and the Head of the Delegation of the European Commision to Ukraine and Belarus. U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, The Honorable William B. Taylor, served as the Honorary Chairman of the event. On May 17th at the Hyatt Regency Kyiv Hotel, 160 guests attended a black-tie gala to help save the lives of children suffering from various cancer disorders by enhancing the medical programs in the field of oncology.
Twenty-six national and international companies supported this fundraiser through corporate sponsorships or through the donation of in-kind gifts for the live auction or silent auction.The items, ranging from artwork to jewelry and luxury travel bags, were auctioned throughout the evening raising $72,000 net. The fundraiser’s goal was to purchase an ultrasonic dissector and necessary surgical supplies for the oncology department of ’s National Cancer Institute run by Head Pediatric Oncologist of Ukraine Dr. Gregory Klymniuk.
CCRDF’s Alexa Milanytch and Mr. Ostap Stupka, the Ukrainian actor best known as the host of Ukraine’s “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” television series, served as the evening’s eloquent Mistress and Master of Ceremonies who entertained guests with intervals of delicate humor and introduced guest speakers and auction winners. During Dr. Zenon Matkiwsky’s opening remarks, he reiterated the importance of life-saving programs to secure a brighter future for infants and children. Ambassador Taylor thanked everyone for their support of a very worthy cause and informed the guests of the long history of CCRDF’s work with the U.S. Department of State, specifically Mr. Gerald Oberndorfer, USDOS Director of Humanitarian Program for Europe and Eurasia (EUR/ACE). Dr. Klymniuk expressed his deep appreciation to the guests for their understanding of the need for state-of-the-art medical equipment which is crucial for more effective oncological surgery. Mrs. Nadia Matkiwsky congratulated the superb Chairman of the event and Chairman of the Board of Directors in Ukraine Olena Nyzhnykevych for her remarkable effort in organizing a very successful fundraiser with a dedicated staff.Special thanks goes to the members of the Event Committee, who made this gala unforgettable: Ali Bergthold, Annika Karlssen, Liz Kulchyckyj, Karen Landon, Adriana Lehman, Nina Stegelmann, Vika Pavlotska, Lyuda Rabij, Nadia Matkiwsky, and Alexa Milanytch. In conclusion, Mrs. Matkiwsky thanked Ambassador Taylor for his “support and understanding of the importance of CCRDF’s work citing, “If you save a life, you have saved humanity.”
The highlight of the gala was undoubtedly the surprise guest appearance and participation in the live auction of heavyweight boxing champion Mr. Volodymyr Klitschko.Mr. Stephen Ansell, the jovial General Manager of the Kyiv Hyatt Regency, started the exciting live auction with a pair of boxing gloves autographed by the Klitschko brothers.With Mr. Klitschko participation, the boxing champ added an invaluable prize –two VIP Gold Circle tickets for his July 12th heavyweight championship bout in Hamburg, against American Tony Thompson –in order to increase the bidding on his donation.This grand prize was won by Mr. Graeme Coventry of Imperial Tobacco Company who bid $20,000 for the autographed gloves and boxing match tickets.In addition to Mr. Klitschko’s inspiring fundraising during the auction, he was a winner of an auction item himself, placing the winning bid of $8,000 for a full page advertisement in the Kyiv Post, ’s leading English language publication.