ACRES Gala Dinner 2010 Resounding Success

Singapore, 22 May 2010: Animal Concerns, Research and Education Society (ACRES) held their annual Gala Dinner to a full house of supporters at Furama Riverfront Hotel who showed their faith in the organisation through their boisterous cheers - as well as via their wallets.

Celebrating its 9th year, ACRES saw over 200 guests honour the occasion, with Senior Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Manpower & Ministry of Health and Member of Parliament for Sembawang GRC, Mr Hawazi Daipi, gracing the event as the guest-of-honour.

The dinner included rousing performances by the percussion group Baracuda Batucada (right), a hilarious audience game involving some sporting guests, a symbolic cake-cutting ceremony, and 2 sets of exciting auctions which witnessed bidding wars involving thousands of dollars. The good natured event also included some of these auction items being donated back for re-auctioning.

The money raised was for ACRES to fund its operations - it reportedly needs $100,000 urgently - and notably, by the end of the night over $60,000 had been raised for the non-profit organisation.

Budding Artist Revealed

A hidden talent was also unearthed at the event as some of the items on auction included charcoal sketches and an oil painting produced by Ms Anbarasi Boopal (left, with her artworks and the respective successful bidders), the Director of the Wildlife Rescue Centre and Crime Unit at ACRES. One source VegVibe spoke to informed that Ms Anbarasi had in fact not expected the artworks to attract more than $80, but fortunately they commanded bids that were commensurate with the quality - one proud guest secured a beautiful oil painting of Big Momma, the star tortoise, for the price of $1,600.

The spread provided by the Furama Riverfront Hotel kitchen for dinner proper was vegetarian and most of the items were vegan-friendly as well. The night consequently ended on a high with a lucky draw that included environmentally friendly footwear from Macbeth, Terra Plana, Olsenhaus and Ocean Minded courtesy of kind and sincere sponsors - in which the only adolescents present at the ballroom snapped up 3 of the many items on offer.

And to cap an eventful evening, activist-cum-artist Ms Anbarasi obliged by autographing the artworks for the guests who secured her personal and meaningful creations.

The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society was registered as a society on 24th May 2001 and is registered under the Charities Act and as an Institution of Public Character. It aims to foster respect and compassion for all animals; improve the living conditions and welfare of animals in captivity; and educate people on lifestyle choices which do not involve the abuse of animals and which are environment-friendly.