The Ronald McDonald Children’s Aid Gala 2024 was under the magical motto “House of Dreams”– and once again reminded the numerous guests that there is still reason to dream. A magical evening in the the fantastic backdrop of the Vienna Hofburgwith an impressive donation amount of 1.680.000 Euro paved the way for the new children’s aid house in Linz. A special highlight of the spectacular charity evening was the appearance of international star violinist David Garrettwhich is around 580 guests enchanted with a breathtaking performance.
A celebrity-filled charity gala
The guest list for the Ronald McDonald Children’s Aid Gala brought together well-known personalities from business, culture, media and society with long-standing supporters of Ronald McDonald Children’s Aid. Among others were the entrepreneur Paulina Swarovski, Celebrity chef Toni Mörwald with wife Evafootball icon Toni Polsterthe actors Philipp Hochmair and Jakob Seeböck, the renowned artists Hermann Angeli and Samuel Selendi as well as sports legend Hubert Neuper live to support a good cause. Also moderator Robert Steiner and singer Caesar Sampson supported the good cause.
In addition, there were Ellen StaudenmayerManaging Director McDonald’s Austria, Almdudler Managing Director Thomas KleinMuhr Real Estate Managing Director Marlies Muhr, Georg and Herbert Fechter (Fencer Management), Master Baker Kurt Mann with son and managing director DER MANN, Michael Mann, ARA board Harald Hauke and Alexander Petschepartner at Baker McKenzie, were among the guests who were happy to donate and repeatedly made the gala, which had been sold out for weeks, the absolute highlight of the local society scene and one of the largest charity events in the country.
The host of the evening, children’s welfare board Karin Schmidtcould work together with Nicholas of PisaChairman of the Supervisory Board of Children’s Aid, and also State Governor Wilfried Haslauerand Christina Haslauer as well as Marko FischerVice President of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce.
The good cause in focus: “House of Dreams”
“Proximity helps” has been the slogan of the globally active Ronald McDonald Children’s Aid for decades. The donations from the charity evening flow entirely into the projects of the local association, which is 100 percent financed by donations and runs five children’s aid houses in Vienna, Graz, Salzburg and Wiener Neustadt. The houses with a total of 69 apartments, which are located in the immediate vicinity of special and children’s clinics, provide families of seriously ill children throughout Austria with a “temporary home”. Because nothing is more important than being close to the children during the stressful time of medical treatment. The non-profit association’s next major project is the construction of a new children’s aid house in Linz, which is planned to be implemented starting next year. Thanks to the sensational donation amount of 1,680,000 euros, the “House of Dreams” will soon become a house of proximity, hope and confidence for affected families.
The donations were collected on site, among other things, through a live auction – moderated by the auctioneer known from “Bares für Rares”. Francis Kriegs-Au. Items up for auction included a Hyundai I10 from the Fischer car dealership in Vienna, a luxurious diamond bracelet made by Juwelier Köck and a comprehensive VIP package for the ski opening in Schladming including a meet & greet. In addition to the live format, many other objects were auctioned off for a good cause as part of a silent auction. These include emotional “Money can’t buy” moments such as an exclusive living room concert by singer Chris Emray, an exclusive performance by cabaret artist Gerald Fleischhacker as well as collectibles and art objects from local and international artists hand-signed by stars – for example the original guitar from Singer Andreas Gabalier or the jersey of Real Madrid soccer star David Alaba.
„We are overwhelmed by the incredible generosity that has reached us this evening. Thanks to the donations from all guests present, we can continue to expand the ‘House of Dreams’ and offer even more families a temporary home in difficult times. A big thank you to everyone who supported us today and ensured that the Kinderhilfe Haus in Linz went from a dream to a reality for us
“said the board of Ronald McDonald Children’s Aid, Karin Schmidt, about the successful evening.
An evening full of magic: Vienna’s Hofburg becomes a dream world
This year’s Ronald McDonald Children’s Aid Gala had an enchanting motto, both visually and in terms of content “House of Dreams” – a message that was comprehensively conveyed by magical tour guides and dream creatures as well as an extraordinary backdrop. Figures in fantastic costumes took guests on a journey into magical fantasy worlds, past warming fire bowls and playful elements such as movable angel wings and huge 3D flowers. Two bright children’s reporters named Sofia & Lenny interviewed the guests as they walked the red carpet and elicited secrets about their big and small wishes. Because dreams are for young and old and give us hope that with courage and imagination everything is possible. Floating on “Cloud 7” was also a dream experience on the way to the ballroom of the Vienna Hofburg – here guests could take a seat on a swing and swing into the air with a touch of magic and lightness. Past the avenue with fantastically scented flower arrangements in Medici vases, we continued to the treasury to display the exhibits for the silent auction. Another highlight on site was the creative wishing tree, where donations could also be made. The donations collected there will benefit four-year-old Nele, who is undergoing riding therapy to promote her sensory integration due to movement restrictions and a sensory disorder.
International stars and magical artists
As in previous years, an array of international stars and prominent artists thrilled the guests present and made the evening unforgettable. The charming presenter led the show Alice Tumbles. Magical highlights of the evening included the live act by the 16-year-old Lower Austrian harpist Amelie Jade Knappwho dreams of becoming the world’s best harpist. Also the appearance of Falco actor Alexander Kerbst caused great emotions in the ballroom of the Hofburg. Additionally took Fab Foxthe Austrian shooting star in the field of magic, took the guests on an amazing journey through time and gave the adults the opportunity to be children again – at least for the duration of his great performance. The show program was only interrupted by the magical theme catering.
Rock star among violinists: David Garrett as a surprise guest at the gala
The German violinist was the main act of the evening David Garrett took the stage to thunderous applause and enchanted the guests with a cross-over program including songs from his new album. The former violin prodigy, who is now celebrated as a “rock star among violinists”, supports the cause of children’s aid wholeheartedly.
His surprise act also heralded the finale of the dream program, at the end of which was the announcement of the donation amount: the incredible number 1,680,000 (Euros), which was represented by allegorical figures (dancers from the Vienna State Opera Ballet Association under the direction of Mihail Sosnovschi). ) was revealed using balloon numbers. A magical result of the 2024 Children’s Aid Gala in the “House of Dreams”, which was celebrated at a “House Party” until the early hours of the morning.
Further information about child welfare: https://www.kinderhilfe.at/