Sailors' Society first Geneva Shipping Ball raises a staggering sum of over US$ 220,000
Howard Lake | 9 December 2008 | News
The Sailors’ Society hosted its first Geneva Shipping Ball recently, in association with headline sponsors Cargill and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC).
Run with Swiss precision, the Geneva Shipping Ball brought together some 450 guests from many high profile organisations within the industry. This sell out black tie event was held at the five-star InterContinental Hotel and raised the outstanding sum of over US$220,000 for the charity, making the event one of the most prestigious social occasions in the Shipping Calendar. A fantastic spread for the assembled representatives of the shipping and commodity trading industry.
Money raised from Ball will support seafarers through welfare projects in 30 countries and nearly 100 ports in the UK and throughout the world. The Sailors’ Society provides a personal lifeline for seafarers without distinction for nationality or faith. It exists to enrich and enhance seafarers’ lives by delivering assistance via an expanding network of Port Chaplains and Seafarers’ Centres.
Companies which attended included:ACM Shipping Limited, Acropolis, Applied Weather Technology Inc, Arrow Shipping, banchero costa, Bunge Europe, Cargill Ocean Transportation Geneva, Cargill Ocean Transportation London, Cargill World Trading Unit, Clarksons, Freight Investor Services Ltd, Furness Withy (Chartering) Ltd, Geneva Marine Transport Shipbrokers S.A, Howe Robinson & Co Ltd, Ifchor SA, Igma Parcel Service, LBH Group, Lightship Chartering A/S, Lundin Petroleum, Marriott & Co, Oldendorff, Simpson Spence & Young Ltd, Swiss Marine, Vitol SA, Weathernews Inc.
Event sponsors included: Clarksons, Clipper Ventures Plc, d’Amico Societa di Navigazione Golf Activity Ltd, Ifchor Group, Lightship and Lundin Petroleum.
Guests were entertained by a Brazilian jazz duo, Perle Noire and the very energetic Orchestre Generation band. The MC, Mr Mike Osman boosted bids for amazing ‘money cannot buy prizes’ for the live auction.
Grand auction prizes ranged from an adrenaline-fuelled experience for ten guests, joining Alex Thompson and his record-breaking team onboard his Hugo Boss Yacht; a unique gold pendant specifically designed for the Geneva Shipping Ball by renowned gun and silversmith engraver, Malcolm Appleby; a VIP golf weekend for four people to play on two classic Championship Courses at Nairn and the Royal Dornoch in Scotland; signed artwork by Dali, Picasso and Renoir and memorabilia signed by celebrities including Enzo Ferrari and the Apollo 11 astronauts. All produced excellent high bids.
Sailors’ Society Director of Fundraising & Marketing, Jan Webber said: We thank all attending companies and event sponsors for their valuable support through this fantastic event in the beautiful city of Geneva. The Geneva Shipping Ball will enable us to sustain and expand the charity’s vital work. It is in everyone’s interest to have a contented crew.”
The Society is indebted to Cargill OT Geneva team who played a crucial role in the arrangements for the evening, ensuring it was the huge success it was. The Society extends its thanks to Cargill as a company for sponsoring the Geneva Shipping Ball, along with MSC.
“We are delighted to continue our longstanding support of the Sailors’ Society”, commented G.J.van den Akker, head of Cargill’s ocean transportation business. “In many parts of the world, shipping remains a dangerous industry and we are very committed to supporting and participating in initiatives that both raise safety standards and support seafarers in need. The Sailors’ Society has for years provided invaluable assistance to such seafarers and their families and the proceeds from this Ball will enhance the lives of many people.”
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Notes to Editors:
This is the third annual Shipping Ball in aid of the Sailors’ Society supported by Cargill. Two previous smaller-scale Shipping Balls held in London together raised $82,000 for the Sailors’ Society.
The Sailors’ Society provides friendly and welcoming support for seafarers throughout the world. Through a network of Port Chaplains, the Society understands the pressures of the seafaring industry, visiting in excess of 20,000 ships every year and directly accessing seafarers in need of its services.
A home from home for both current and retired seafarers and their families, the Society offers practical help, which can be as little as the resource to contact loved ones after months away, to spiritual assistance and counselling in times of need. The Society is inter-denominational; Society Port Chaplains are always ready to provide advice and assistance – irrespective of a person’s belief or nationality.
Cargill
Cargill is an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services. With 160,000 employees in 67 countries, the company is committed to using its knowledge and experience to collaborate with customers to help them succeed. The company’s Ocean Transportation business is headquartered in Geneva with offices in London, Amsterdam, New Jersey, Singapore, Shanghai and Tokyo. Its global team has a unique blend of experience across shipping, commodities and risk management and offers its customers a number of ocean freight solutions across all dry market segments and tankers. In recent years, the business has built on its reputation for excellence in risk management by putting a strong focus on raising health & safety and quality standards across the industry. For more information, visit http://www.cargill.com.
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MSC
MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company SA of Geneva is a privately owned shipping line which has rapidly grown from a small conventional ship operator to become one of the leading global shipping lines of the world. It currently operates 405 container vessels with an intake capacity of 1,345,000 TEU’s. MSC has dedicated offices throughout the world able to respond quickly to market changes and implement long term plans, without unnecessary interference or delay. MSC has also invested in crew training, shipyards, container workshops, regional ship planning centres and dangerous cargo management centres. MSC recently won the ‘Lloyds Loading List Shipping Line of the Year Award’ for 2007, for the sixth time.
Contact Jan Webber for more information:
jw*****@sa*************.org +44 23 80 515950
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.