Sydney society unites to support Centenary
Tanya Plibersek, Richard Champion de Crespigny, Justice Margaret Beazley, Tom Wenkart and many other Sydney luminaries will join Centenary Foundation chairman Joseph Carrozzi, a managing partner of global accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers, at the 2013 Foundation Dinner this Friday, 31 March.
They’ll have the opportunity to bid for: Chairman box seats at ANZ Stadium for the Bledisloe Cup; their own private jazz performance by the Jonathan Zwartz Trio; five luxury nights in Tasmania to experience Hobart, the Bay of Fires and the innovative Museum of Old and New Art; or the work of some of Australia’s finest artists.
Executive Director of the Centenary Institute, Professor Mathew Vadas, said that over the past few years the Annual Dinner has already raised $550,000 for medical research.
“Being an art-collector myself, I am delighted with the extraordinary generosity and creativity from the artists supporting our dinner and I am truly grateful to the artists and all our kind supporters who have made this year’s dinner such a special event.”
This year the proceeds will support the Centenary Institute’s Bioinformatics Department which will be underpinning the work of the recently announced Centenary Institute – Chris O’Brien Lifehouse Cancer Research Centre.
Bioinformatics is transforming medical research by crunching big health data – everything from personal genomes and brain scans to personalising cancer therapies. At the dinner, the head of the Bioinformatics Department, Dr William Ritchie will reveal more about the potential of big data to transform medicine.
The annual Centenary Foundation Fundraising Dinner, Art Sale and Auction is at PricewaterhouseCoopers, 201 Sussex St, Sydney on Friday 31 May at 7 pm. This year, guests will have the chance to the purchase the works of six respected artists, two of whom – Janet Laurence and Michael Johnson – will be joining them for dinner.
Diners will also be rubbing shoulders with the Federal Minister for Health and Centenary’s local Member of Parliament, Tanya Plibersek, who will be accompanied by her husband, senior NSW bureaucrat Michael Coutts-Trotter.
Other notable attendees include Richard Champion de Crespigny, the Qantas pilot who in November 2010 guided an Airbus A380 carrying 440 passengers and 29 crew to safety in Singapore after one of its four engines exploded, and Dr Tom Wenkart, the medical entrepreneur and philanthropist who sponsors the University of Sydney’s Chair of Endothelium Medicine—blood vessel research—currently held by Centenary’s Professor Jennifer Gamble.
Also at the dinner will be the Federal Member for Lindsay, David Bradbury, the chairman of ANZ Stadium, John Clarke, the director of the Sydney Cancer Centre, Professor Michael Boyer and News Limited senior executive, Adam Suckling.
Members of the Foundation attending include the President of the New South Wales Court of Appeal, Justice Margaret Beazley AO; Head of alternative investments at ANZ Global Wealth & Private, Simon Ford and partner Julie; Partner with Allen Overy, John Samaha,; Andrew White from AR Fuels; Simon Dulhunty CEO of Bell Digital Media; and Director of YWCA Australia , Elizabeth Dibbs with her partner David Tudehope, Chief Executive at Macquarie Telecom.
Members of Centenary’s Board of Governors who will be present include Josephine Sukkar, together with her partner Tony, co-owners of property developers Buildcorp; Neil Lawrence, Executive Creative Director of Australia’s largest communications group STW, with his partner Caroline; physician, medical researcher and administrator, Dr Susan Pond; the Chief Executive of the Sydney Local Health District, Dr Teresa Anderson; and Managing Director of Aurora Funds Management, Alastair Davidson.
The dinner is hosted by Foundation chairman Joseph Carrozzi, a managing partner of global accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers. With him will be Centenary Institute Director, Professor Mathew Vadas, and the owner and chief winemaker of sponsor Torbreck Vintners, David Powell, who will introduce the wines to accompany a meal. The Jonathan Zwartz trio with Martha Zwartz will perform.
And in the middle of it all will be a live auction to be conducted by Paul Sumner, Managing Director, Mossgreen Auctions, together with an art sale of contemporary works by Del Kathryn Barton, Michael Johnson, Tim Johnson, Janet Laurence, Noel McKenna, and Nick Mount. In addition, there will be a silent auction of wonderful clothes, wines, artwork, memorabilia and experiences.
The Centenary Foundation Fundraising Dinner, Art Sale and Auction is proudly sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Qantas, Mount Mary Vineyard, Torbreck Vintners and Mossgreen Auctions.
More information about the Centenary Institute at: www.centenary.org.au
Media Enquiries and photos:
- Barbara Smith, Fundraising & Database Coordinator, Centenary Institute Medical Research Foundation, 02 9565 6128, b.smith@centenary.org.au
- Toni Stevens, 0401 763 130, toni@scienceinpublic.com.au