(For a brief glimpse of the successful event held in Auckland, click here and use the password maxvid)
The more than $8,500 raised for Christchurch by a recent cabaret on in Auckland isn’t going to the Red Cross — it has a more unique (but no less admirable) purpose, to help kick-start business in the area.
BNI Assistant Director Mariska Mannes said the money raised by Auckland business members of BNI New Zealand would likely be used to help small businesses in Christchurch.
“Many networking venues have ceased to exist, so the money will be used to help facilitate meetings and venues for networking, to get business going again,” she said.
More than 130 local business people met at the Fairway Lodge Auckland’s North Shore (Friday May 6) for an inter-chapter challenge, in which various networking groups challenged each other in a cabaret talent contest.
The overall winner of the cabaret contest was Hayley Kennedy for her expert, mesmerising and massively energetic hip hop dance routine.
Speaking from Los Angeles, the founder of BNI (which now has more than 130,000 members worldwide), Dr Ivan Misner, said he first started BNI networking from a car boot, but the money raised would go some way to making sure Christchurch businesses owners didn’t have to do the same thing.
The BNI Misner Charitable Foundation stepped up to help with a $14,000 donation to the New Zealand Red Cross.
Besides the BNI Cabaret challenge, other fun and fundraising activities included a raffle and auction of services and products.
Sam Williamson – a Christchurch based regional director – put together a slide show of the devastation in area, with particular emphasis on how various venues, such as cafés used for BNI breakfast meetings, had been destroyed.
“We will support those businesses that were destroyed,” he said. “When they are rebuilt we will be back there and supporting them in any way we can – even if we have to find alternative places to meet for now.”
BNI New Zealand Director, Graham Southwell, said the cabaret fundraiser was a great example of what can happen when people start working together.
“Putting money towards causes is one thing, but putting on an event like this is more inspiring – a testament to the people who worked behind the scenes.”
