A one-of-a-kind pearl necklace designed by Dame Trelise Cooper has fetched $20,000 in Cure Kids’ 50th anniversary live auction.
Hand-designed by Dame Trelise with pearls donated by New Zealand Pearl, the bespoke necklace was one of the most anticipated auction items at the gala dinner, which raised $193,000 net for New Zealand’s largest charitable funder of child health research.
Cure Kids Chief Executive Frances Benge says the renowned designer is a long time supporter of the charity, and having her exclusive piece as an auction drawcard topped off a suite of packages on offer from generous partners, ranging from Lady Raewyn and Sir Graeme Henry, to David Babich and Rugby great Stephen Donald.
“Dame Trelise has a long history with Cure Kids, dating back to her t-shirt design collaboration with one of our longest-standing ambassadors, Eva, who is a proud advocate for child health research.
“With the generous contribution of New Zealand Pearl, she created a showstopper one-of-a-kind necklace featuring hand-picked pearls, custom-made charms and gold details – inspired by her love for the pearls she wore on her own wedding day.”
Over 400 supporters turned out to celebrate the charity’s golden jubilee, at Pullman Auckland on October 28, MC’d by comedian and singer Jackie Clarke and entertainment by the iconic Ladykillers.
All proceeds from the gala dinner go directly to supporting Cure Kids’ research into child health to improve, extend, and save the lives of Kiwi children living with serious health conditions.
