On Friday 15th August, guests of The Salvation Army’s Oasis Youth Support Network walked up the red carpet and into the grand Sydney Town Hall to enjoy an enchanted night of fun, food and festivities.
Supporting Oasis for the 22nd year, ball guests were overwhelmed with the beauty of the Centennial Hall and in awe of the amazing talent provided throughout the evening.
The evening raised close to $70,000 amid a frenzy of bids on some truly exquisite auction items, donations and ticket sales for the raffle to win a Mazda2. Funds raised would be supporting our Crisis Accommodation Centre in Surry Hills.
Our crisis accommodation provides 24 hour support, four meals, a hot shower, a bed and most importantly a safe place to 13 young people every night. It costs around $49 per night, per young person, so you can imagine how important this is for the centre.
Aerialize and Dami Im starting the evening with a bang and offered a taste of the level of talent that was to follow throughout the evening. Many guests noted Mark Vincent’s rendition of The Voice as a highlight, with the entire room getting up to dance and join in.
“This was my fourth ball and by far the best”, one guest commented “Food- amazing. Entertainment – amazing. Band at the end – really fun. Even got everyone up dancing!”
The mood in the great hall was electric, but there was also a solemn note to the evening when addressing the reason we were all gathered – youth homelessness. Guests were silenced by the words of our Youth Advisory Board, a group of talented young people who told the story of what it feels like to be homeless and outcast. Guests were furthered dazzled with an impromptu poem from last year’s speaker Toby* who also shared the exciting news that he was getting married the next day.
The night was a huge success and we cannot wait to get out in our finest suits and gowns for another great evening next year.