God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

… when a ball, or better the Ball of HOPE is up and running.  Music, entertainment,raffle, live music, speeches, food – and it is indeed a great relief for the organizers if and when the curtain falls after the programme part and everybody just enjoys him- or herself. Forgotten then all the drama beforehand: bookings change at the last moment, but please the names must be on the alphabetic name board. Or whom to address first in a welcome speech – how much overtime we estimate the main speaker will take – it is important for the kitchen – just imagine the meet or the fish is dry because to long kept warm because of a timeless speech.. If the waiter does not function well, the raffle tickets are not at hand – the band is not in a good mood – all has to be balanced well and all the small little nitty gritties up to the decoration must be perfectly done – otherwise there will be some mentioning later. All in all we as the Ball of HOPE organisers cannot complain – the guests are normally willing to be entertained with ease and small little hickups in the programme are overlooked. The question of the room temperature we have now under control  – a bit higher first until the first bottle of wine is  consumed and the spirit high and then a bit down to avoid overheating.. 🙂 Even after 15 years it is every year again anew a first time experience – and I am grateful to have such a great partner in crime whom I can rely on. I am looking forward to the evening on Saturday and I am sure it will be once again a great event with great guests enjoying what we have prepared – and with “we” I mean much more than only Anja and myself. There are so many people involved, from the hotel, the deco firm, the sponsor companies and so on – so many people have only one goal: to offer the chance to celebrate an enjoyable evening and to do good for the cause of HOPE Cape Town. And thinking back of the humble beginnings in 1998, where I started a “dinner-dance” at the good old Nelly with Archbishop Tutu as the guest of honour and 80 guests – we came a long way until now. A salute to all those during the last 15 years who supported, donated or in any other way joined the good cause of HOPE Cape Town.  Lets hope for many more years to come with this annual event…

Filed under: HIV and AIDS, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Trust, Networking, Reflection, Society and living environment, Uncategorized, Aids, Anja Tambusso-Ferraz, archbishop tutu, ball, ball of hope, cape town, chamber of commerce, first time experience, hiv, HOPE Cape Town Association, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Trust, SA German Chamber of Commerce, south africa, sponsor companies, stefan hippler, welcome speech, western cape, Westin