The Foreign Correspondents' Club's 12th annual charity ball was a rousing success. More than 1,200 people turned up to raise money for education schemes for underprivileged children run by the Po Leung Kuk, including the FCC Scholarship Fund. To date, the fund has awarded 106 scholarships; 55 benefactors have graduated and 51 are still studying.
Among items auctioned at the event were an acoustic guitar signed by Bob Dylan, sports memorabilia autographed by NBA stars Shaquille O'Neal and Lebron James, astronaut training at Nasa's Kennedy Space Centre, and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The highlight of the evening was a performance by Huey Lewis and the News. Lewis said he was happy to support the charity. The band played more than a dozen hits, including . "Who knew that 27 years ago, when we wrote this song, that we'd be playing it for the rest of our lives," said Lewis.
Kitchenware producers Gaggenau recently hosted a "Black Party" of European lifestyle extravagance for local A-listers. Guests sampled gourmet delicacies by Michelin-star chef Jonay Armas of The Principal, mouth-watering macarons from Paul Lafayet and chocolate indulgences by Valrhona. These were washed down in true Italian style with Peroni Nastro Azzurro beer. Sommelier Christophe Orlarei from ASC Fine Wines was on hand to offer tipple tips.
Raymond Chan Siu-wing, executive director of ENM Holdings, went home with a Chinese contemporary print depicting the god of longevity, valued at HK$25,000, from the lottery courtesy of Art Futures Group. Asked if had a place to hang it, Chan replied with a grin: "There's definitely a spot in the living room for it."
