The glamorous Summer Gala will include lively performances from children who participate in Imibala Trust programmes, an act by internationally acclaimed local artist Jeremy Loops, a luxury charity auction with a host of five-star spoils including artworks, wine and local getaways, and a sit-down dinner on the lawns of the historic Vergelegen Estate.
The Summer Gala will raise funds for the Imibala Trust, while celebrating the talent and beautiful artworks of the children who are participating in the Imibala programmes.
Founded by Gaynor Rupert in 2002, the non-profit organisation has been serving children from impoverished backgrounds in the Helderberg Basin, and Graaff-Reinet, for over two decades, providing a platform of creative and deeply empowering initiatives that make a substantial and measurable difference in the lives of children.
The reception will be held on the beautiful lawns of the Vergelegen Wine Estate, and in true Imibala style, promises to be a superb night reflecting the sense of colour, joy and South African spirit that is core to the Imibala Trust, where children are encouraged to imagine a future filled with optimism and opportunity.
Some key aspects of Imibala include the NPO’s Sponsor-a-Child uniform drive, as well as its rich, creative arts curricula, the latter created to encourage children to discover and develop critical thinking skills, engaging in a world they most likely don’t have access to at home.
The Gala Event is a true circular exercise – students who are currently engaged in the work of the Trust will be dressing the event venue, making all the table settings, the table linen, and their own zero-waste art installations. Many of these one-off art pieces will also be on auction on the night – a fitting reminder of the power of creativity as a means of transformation for vulnerable children. Funds raised from the auction will go towards furthering Imibala Trust endeavours with hundreds of at-risk children living in the Eastern Cape, and the Helderberg Basin which includes Somerset West, Macassar, Strand and Gordons Bay, as well as more South African locations where need has been identified.
The Summer Gala will begin with a champagne reception before guests enter a beautiful glass marquee for a sit-down dinner, to be followed by the auction of exclusive and covetable lots, many of them absolute one-offs. These include jewellery from Chopard, a collectable Dylan Lewis sculpture, a five-star Tswalu bush experience including dinner at Klein JAN and three nights’ accommodation, wine lots from Rupert & Rothschild, and a bespoke Imibala Panerai watch, worth over one million rand.
Gala patron Gaynor Rupert says, “neither the gala nor the Trust’s work would be possible without strong partnerships in the community of donors, like-minded individuals, organisations and volunteers. It is an integral part and provides a firm foundation for the effective implementation of our programmes.
For more information on the event and to book a table, email [email protected]. If you’d like updates on the organisation’s upcoming events and fundraisers - please visit imibala.com.
