Cape Town - Irish popstar, Ronan Keating, and South African golf legend, Gary Player came together at the One&Only Cape Town Friday night to host a glamourous one-night-only event, A Night with Ronan Keating presented by Citadel.
The event, which fetched a total of R1 000 000 during its charity auction, was in aid of Gary Player’s foundation as well as The Ronan Keating Foundation’s selected beneficiary – The Red Cross Children’s Hospital Oncology Unit. The foundation, inspired by the loss of Keating’s mother to cancer, was launched earlier this year and is managed through the Citadel Philanthropy Fund.
RELATED: One night with Ronan Keating to benefit Red Cross
Senior Oncologist at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, Dr Marc Hendricks, added some wooing entertainment to the evening after Keating personally selected him as his supporting act for the evening. Keating dazzled the audience with his performance which included his world-renowned hits, When You Say Nothing at All, If Tomorrow Never Comes, Baby Can I Hold You Tonight, Life Is a Rollercoaster and more.
The top bid of the evening went for R180 000 and will bring the auction winner and three guests to New York City for a once in a lifetime experience at Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour.
A Night with Ronan Keating fetched a total of R1 000 000 during its charity auction, was in aid of Gary Player’s foundation as well as The Red Cross Children’s Hospital. Picture: Daniel Coetzee
A Night with Ronan Keating fetched a total of R1 000 000 during its charity auction, was in aid of Gary Player’s foundation as well as The Red Cross Children’s Hospital. Picture: Daniel Coetzee
Other items included a luxury stay at the One&Only Saint Le Geran, a trip to the Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player, a limited-edition Legacy Collection gold-plated cut out of Africa made from fencing found on Robben Island, and a VIP Man United Directors’ Box Experience.
“What a thrill it has been to raise R1million for charity here in Cape Town tonight. South Africa has always been a special place for me and cancer is a cause so close to my heart, so it brings me great pleasure to be a part of the process of alleviating some of the challenges faced at The Red Cross Children’s Hospital Oncology Unit”, commented Keating.
“As President Cyril Ramaphosa says It is in the spirit of ‘Thuma Mina’ which points to selfless giving that we have come here tonight with a plan to give for the betterment of those who are less fortunate with us. The Citadel Philanthropic Foundation is the first donor-advised fund of its kind in South Africa and it’s been remarkable for us to join Ronan on his journey in making a sustainable impact here in South Africa” added Citadel’s CEO Andrew Möller.
Cape Argus