The Ubuntu Education Fund’s Annual Gala

Thursday, November 11, 2010, I attended the Ubuntu Education Fund’s Annual Gala. Ubuntu Education Fund is a non-profit organization that serves thousands of vulnerable children and their families with life-saving health services and essential educational resources in the townships of Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

This year’s gala celebrated the culmination of a large capital campaign that resulted in the construction and development of The Ubuntu Centre. The center stands as a point of hope for the entire community, bringing the latest innovations in healthcare and technology to Port Elizabeth. Benefit host committee members include Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard, Donna Karan, Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, Fiona and Stanley Druckenmiller, and Mark Seliger. The evening began with a cocktail reception, followed by a live and silent auction. Two Ubuntu Education Fund students, Sinesipho and Zethu, shared their accounts of how they have benefitted.

The event ended with a great performance by Dave Matthews. The list of celebrities in attendance includes Dave Matthews, Malaak Compton-Rock, Robert DeNiro, Kyra Sedgwick, Mark Sanchez, Rachel Roy, Chris Blackwell, Pharrell Williams, Vusi Mahlasela, Nick Manigold, Robert Stilton, Justin Tuck, Stanley Druckenmiller, Andrew Rosen and Paul Jones.