Over 3,000 ball guests danced at the 102nd Elmayer Wreath for a good cause. The proceeds are used to support the FRIDOLINA children’s care center and the children’s emergency aid in Ukraine.
Vienna (OTS) – The 102nd Elmayer wreath on Shrove Tuesday in the Vienna Hofburg was the glittering highlight of this year’s Vienna ball season. Over 3,000 enthusiastic dance fans experienced a relaxed and elegant evening and made a charitable contribution with their visit. Proceeds from the ball traditionally support charitable initiatives. Before dance school director and ball organizer Thomas Schäfer-Elmayer opened the traditional ball with the words “Alles Waltz”, he took the opportunity to personally present the donations of 30,000 euros each to representatives of the House of Mercy and UNICEF. “It is very important to me that the Elmayer Wreath not only gives visitors a unique ball experience, but also helps people who have a very difficult time in life. “I would therefore like to thank everyone who, by attending the ball, made these donations possible to two organizations that provide children with this valuable support,” emphasized Schäfer-Elmayer.
Support for chronically ill children and children in Ukraine
Institute director Christoph Gisinger gratefully accepted the donation for the House of Mercy: “Just as the unique ball evening of the Elmayer Wreath is an expression of joy in life, we also want to create happy moments in our children’s care home FRIDOLINA for the children and young people living there. This is only possible for us through reliable partners like Thomas Schäfer-Elmayer. We would like to thank you very much for this,” said Gisinger. The FRIDOLINA children’s care home is the first inpatient care offer for children and young people with serious chronic illnesses in Vienna. The offer ranges from long-term, around the clock care to short-term stays to relieve the burden on families and hospice care. The child-friendly home, which combines care, medical and therapeutic care as well as social work and educational support, was opened in December of the previous year in the HB Nursing Hospital in Ottakring.
With the second donation, the Elmayer-Kränzchen supports the “Emergency Aid Ukraine” from UNICEF, the United Nations children’s fund. In view of the two-year-old war in Ukraine, which has left more than two thirds of Ukrainian children on the run, UNICEF is active on site and provides children and their families with essential goods, education and psychosocial support.
The ball evening was opened by around 700 debutantes. The varied ball program included vocal performances by soprano Miriam Kutrowatz, a member of the opera studio of the Vienna State Opera, accompanied by the Salon Orchestra of the Vienna Guard Music. In addition to standard and Latin information, the ball offered dance lessons, the traditional audience quadrille, the dance partner island, dance orchestras in three halls and the forum ball disco. The last ball of the official ball season came to an end with the traditional toll of midnight.
The “House of Mercy” group
The non-profit House of Mercy offers long-term care with a quality of life for people in serious need of care. We continuously care for around 1,250 geriatric residents in seven nursing hospitals and homes in Vienna and Lower Austria. We also support around 430 people with complex disabilities in our 13 shared apartments, a kids’ shared apartment, two garconnier associations, five day centers and in mobile support. In addition to the best possible care and medical care, we attach particular importance to a self-determined and varied everyday life. www.hb.at
