Outstanding Success at 2021 Annual Gala Dinner

After 14 years of hosting our Annual Gala Dinner we were disappointed to cancel it in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We selected a date for our 2021 Gala Dinner and come October we were so grateful to be able to host over 300 guests at the beautiful Frasers Kings Park for a spectacular night, far exceeding our expectations.

There was a special energy in our room as our guests and team were excited to be able to share another highly anticipated Gala Dinner together. Our outstanding Indigenous talent did not disappoint, guests were welcomed to the beautiful Kings Park gardens by Delly Stokes, they enjoyed their mains to the sound of Angela Rule and finished the night on a high with The Struggling Kings.

The whole night was carried by our fabulous MC Ernie Dingo who was equal parts informative and entertaining providing our guests with his unique perspective on the Foundations work. We were also privileged to have the Welcome to Country delivered by Shaun Nannup, who connected and grounded our guests setting an important tone for the evening.

Chairman Alan Cransberg reflected on the Foundations achievements and highlights over the last 12 months. Speaking on the growth of our Deadly Sista Girlz and other education programs, as well as our success in the employment and justice sector and our newest endeavour the Wirra Hub.

This night was a great opportunity to share with our guests the impressive development of the Wirra Hub, which was established in 2020 to assist the Indigenous business sector to thrive in WA.

“We’re proud of our new program the Wirra Hub, to see the people we are helping out and for us to be in a position to guide those businesses to make the most of opportunities is really rewarding,” said Wirrpanda Director, Troy Cook.

Guests also heard from a panel including Wirra Hub General Manager Shane Devitt, clients Keon Matera from Boodjara Energy, Chris Schmid from Woollahra Group, and procurement supplier Adrian Jones from Alcoa.

The night culminated in a live auction ran by the captivating Tiny Holly which featured once in a lifetime experiences and bespoke items including a private dining experience at Fraser’s Restaurant with AFL star player Nic Naitanui, a custom Argyle diamond necklace donated by Rohan Jewellers and an all-inclusive Broome holiday, just to name a few. The Foundation raised our highest total yet from a live auction, which was an overwhelming result and a tribute to the generosity in the room.

“All the money raised here tonight will go back to the foundation’s programs and make an impact on all the people that walk through our doors and for our guests here tonight to play a part in that is great,” said Troy Cook. 

This night would not have been possible without our major event sponsors Fraser’s Restaurant, Juniper Margaret River and Rohan Jewellers.