Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation (SCHF) has teamed up with Independent Reserve to accept crypto donations from their benefactors for the first time.
The Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation (SCHF) annual charity fundraising dinner is going to be one of the most significant events in Australia this year.
The SCHF welcomes its “carefully-curated” guests composed of some celebrities and the country’s rich list on June 10. This is in celebration of raising money through auctioning a non-fungible token (NFT) by Australian digital artist Hipworth to help children battling mental health issues.
The NFT will be minted at MakersPlace this week. Considering the previous setup of the bidding, which is done on the big night, the upcoming event will be unique as it will be opened anywhere in the world, ahead of the actual event.
Much more interesting in this year’s dinner is that the crypto community is getting behind it. Just recently, the Independent Reserve (IR) donated AUD 30,000 in bitcoin.
We're donating $30,000 in Bitcoin to Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation (SCHF) and would love for you and the #crypto community to join us in raising for this amazing cause.
Please donate today at https://t.co/vENnVnkbKk#fundraising #cryptocurrencies #Bitcoin #Ethereum pic.twitter.com/LCVce9J46r
— Independent Reserve (@indepreserve) May 27, 2021
Breaking records through digitalization
The annual dinner has been raising around $30 million since it began in 1997.
Chaired by Monica Saunders-Weinberg, the event has been known for its ability to pull together a crowd of Sydney’s most glitzy and generous. Interestingly, it announced that it would accept crypto donations and auction a non-fungible token (NFT) by the Australian digital artist Hipworth.
The Gold Dinner has partnered with Independent Reserve, an Australian cryptocurrency exchange chaired by Mike Tilley, to accept donations.
As revealed by Mrs. Saunders, this vision realization was partly a way to break the dinner’s $4.1 million fundraising record and enable the whole committee to help the hospital fund various mental health programs. “The cause which is set speaks for itself and has amplified more than ever.”
Many people are interested in the fundraiser, and they want to donate more because they wish to become a part of the family itself. Saunders added that if people have experienced some form of mental health issues themselves, then the isolation, restriction, and confinement from the past year is a metaphor for mental health.
She believes that investing in kids, being seed investors, and standing beside each other is where people can make the most impact.
The committee’s keen eyes in creating a ‘Carefully Curated’ crowd
This year’s committee is keener to ensure a diverse crowd in the room, which Saunders described as ‘carefully curated.’
For the past three years, Mrs. Saunders Weinberg has chaired the committee and said that her brother Mark’s mental health has made this issue even more personal to her and her family. The 16 person committee had met just twice.
She also revealed the committee’s new members, including Warner Music local president Dan Rosen, Qantas executive Olivia Wirth, Airbnb country manager Susan Wheeldon, design and fashion store owner Joshua Penn, and REA Group chairman Hamish McLennan.
Other members also include jewelry designer Alina Barlow, film producer Emma Cooper, publicist Emma van Haandel, chef Guillaume Brahimi, television presenter Karl Stefanovic.
Furthermore, Mrs. Saunders has ranked 19th on the Australian Financial Review Rich List with her sister. She sits right on the private Terrace Towers board.
Meanwhile, the June 10 by-invitation dinner expects more than 550 people to attend. Crown Sydney is a significant sponsor, alongside a student accommodation provider called Scape.
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