ONE hundred and fifty thousand ringgit profit were raised for charity in an instant from a vibrant Ms World Gala Dinner staged jointly by the City Hall of Kota Kinabalu and Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce (MICCI) last Friday night.
Tribute goes to a powerful, vibrant force of beauty, in this case, a stunning Miss World Karolina Bielawska.
More than that, it’s the special value of “Beauty with a Purpose”, intelligently articulated by Karolina herself in an exclusive interview with this writer on arrival last Thursday evening:
“Beauty with a Purpose means when you live not only for yourself but to serve others it makes your life more special.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Agreed, as former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Chong Kah Kiat in a WhatsApp message forwarded to this writer says: “The hand that helps others, will always be filled with blessings!”
Karolina did exactly that in the first two days of her historic visit to KK.
RM100,000 raised in Gala dinner
Friday night, a vibrant fundraising Ms World Charity Gala Dinner attracted a full house of excited KK folks at the Sutera Magellan Grand Ballroom who parted with their money and resources and Mayor Datuk Noorliza Awang Alip told Daily Express the historic event raised an estimated profit of RM150,000 on ticket sales, from which a mock cheque for RM100,000, signed by herself, were presented to Dr Marcus Netto, Director of Sabah Women and Children Hospital, Likas, by Miss World Karolina Bielawska, not counting profit from the auction of paintings and fashion, design batik wears, bags and shawls etc that night.
“Once we have worked out the net profit from these auctions during the Charity Gala Dinner, it will be distributed accordingly,” noted Datuk Norliza whose able team under her had worked tirelessly for a very successful outcome with Datuk Susan Chang, Deputy President of MICCI cum Chairperson of the “Vibrant KK” component of City Hall’s “Love KK Network” programme launched on April 1 this year.
Miss World Karolina presenting the mock cheque for RM100,000, signed by Datuk Noorliza, to Dr Marcus Netto.
Auction of painting themed ‘Home of the Departed Spirits’ netted RM20,000.
Auction of a shawl presented by a model.
Picture session with Karolina after Friday night’s charity gala dinner.
ADVERTISEMENT
In the heart of downtown to present more cheques
Next day, Saturday morning, Miss World Karolina descended in the heart of down town KK on Jalan Jati off Jalan Pantai for another Beauty With a Purpose charity act of presenting two mock cheques ofRM30,000 each – one to Sabah Thalassemia Society and the other to Tadika Titian Murni, both of which were also signed by Datuk Noorliza.
Presentation over by 11am, Karolina, Susan and party headed straight to nearby Kinabalu Hyatt Regency.
Miss World Karolina presents mock cheque for RM30,000 to Sabah Thalassemia Society together with key fundraising Charity Gala Dinner organisers Mayor
Noorliza (left) and Datuk Susan Chang (right).
The two charity beneficiaries after receiving the mock cheques from Karolina.
Granting two wishes to two children
Welcomed with a bouquet, General Manager, Thor Garvasi, ushered Miss World straight up to its 13th floor Regency Club famous for commanding a spectacular ocean view of the Gaya Bay, for a moving Charity Event: Granting two wishes to two children – Alya Farzana bte Mohamad Fariz, aged 5, who suffered from an illness called Medulloblastoma, and the other, Alisha bte Abdul Rajak, aged 10, whose illness is Suprasellar geminnoma, with obstructive hydrocephalus complicated with diabetes insipidus and hypothyroidism.
Miss World with Alya (left) and Alisah (right) after granting them wishes on Saturday at the Hyatt.
Parents and relatives of two children granted wishes by Miss World at Hyatt on Saturday. At centre back row is cancer specialist Dr Ashohan.
ADVERTISEMENT
Doctor praised Miss World for promoting cancer awareness
On hand to witness the event was Dr. Ashohan Thevarajah, Head of the Paediatric Haenato-Oncology Unit, Paediatric Department of Sabah Women and Children Hospital Likas.
“I am happy to know that Miss World Karolina is promoting cancer awareness,” Dr Ashohan told Daily Express.
“Not only children get cancer, some children are born with cancer!” he noted.
But cancer is not necessarily terminal, he added.
“If it is discovered early and treated early, there is light at the end of the tunnel,” Dr Ashohan said.