By Tania Phillips
It’s time to break out that suit or favourite dress from the back of the cupboard and walk the red carpet for the second annual Bling and Bow Tie Charity Dinner at the Stanthorpe International Club on 31 August.
The event, which will raise money for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), is the brainchild of the Rotary Club of The Granite Belt and is all about having a bit of fun while helping a good cause.
And this year’s it’s taking on a bit of a sporting feel, where guest speakers are concerned at least, with retired sports journalist and author Bernie Pramberg coming along with stories to tell. The club will announce other special guests as the event draws closer.
“Bernie has only recently been inducted into the media hall of fame at Suncorp,” event coordinator and RCOTGB secretary Perditta O’Connor said.
“He was a Brisbane Rugby League referee and has refereed Queensland v NSW games, Australian games and was a columnist extraordinaire covering Augusta (US Masters Golf) and racing for a number of years. He really does have a heap of stories to tell that will interest everyone not just sports lovers.
“He’s a well-known MC and did a column in a Brisbane paper for years, highlighting everyday individuals who contributed to sport in their communities (including a couple from the Southern Downs and Granite Belt).”
Perditta said it would be the same format as last year as far as the speakers go where they will just sit and chat.
“It’s not a stand up there and give your presentation kind of event,” she said.
Instead the club is going for a relaxed and fun feeling to the evening with guests getting to walk the red carpet (yes they will be rolling one out) and have bubbles on arrival before being treated to amazing food prepared by renowned local chef Jason Costanzo, listening to the guest speakers and being entertained by talented local duo (and expat New Zealanders) No Relation.
“The event will be sponsored by the new Meteora Vineyard owned by Karen and Andrew Catsoulis. They came last year and thought it was a very worthwhile event and they have thrown their support behind it,” Perditta said.
“There will a giving tree again and all of the funds from that go entirely to RFDS.
“Last year we supported LifeFlight. It was very successful and very well received by the community who enjoyed the opportunity to frock up, dust off the bowties and bring out the bling. Everybody got into the theme of the event which was lovely.”
She said the event, or something like it, was something the club had wanted to do for a while.
“So many people had approached members of the club Mary and Angelo Puglisi about whether or not they would ever bring back Opera in the Vineyard but that boat has sailed. So we were looking for a signature event, something that was manageable in size for a small club but would be supported by the community, was a little bit quirky and different and would raise funds for organisations that, as a club, we believe benefit our community,” Perditta said.
“I think this event resonates with people because they’re enjoying a night and contributing to an organisation that’s vital to health services in our community.
“We’re hoping that this grows. It will never be huge but we want to just grow so that its’ a signature event for our club and it’s a signature event within the community.”
RCOTGB president Greg Paxton said it promised to be a great evening with an even better cause.
“Most people associate RFDS with outback and remote communities however many local people would be surprised to learn that the RFDS planes are regular visitors to the Stanthorpe airstrip,” he said.
“RFDS carry out medical retrievals almost as frequently as the LifeFlight helicopters (the beneficiary of last year’s event)– the difference is they are just not as visible to the community.
“For those patients airlifted by the RFDS the experience is quite often life altering or lifesaving.”
Perditta said the club invited everyone to come and enjoy all the fun of the Bling and Bow Ties, tread the Red Carpet, enjoy “an amazing evening and support for an iconic Aussie organisation which supports our local community”.
Tickets are $110 per head and are available on line at trybooking.com/CTLCU or
locally in Stanthorpe from Gleesons Mercery.
