Hospice Casa Sperantei charity raised EUR 160,000 from its Edelweiss charity ball that took place last week-end in Bucharest. The auction alone raised some EUR 82,500, paid by guests who wanted to buy items like a part in Kevin Costner's latest movie, VIP tickets for the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Spain, or Romanian singer Inna's original platinum disk, among others.

The ball focused on a night with the stars. Volunteers dressed up as stars, such as Marlin Monroe or Charlie Chaplin. A highlight of the evening was the Star Wars inspired show (in picture).

Among the attendants there were the British Ambassador Martin Harris, the US Ambassador Mark H. Gitenstein, the Canadian Ambassador Philippe Beaulne, princess Marina Sturdza.

Hospice Casa Sperantei has run a hospice in Brasov since 2003. It provides specialist care to children and adults with terminal or life-threatening illnesses. The charity was set up by Graham Perolls in 1992 and was initially active in Brasov.

Casa Sperantei has recently said it plans to build a new, EUR 4.7 million hospice for the palliative care of the terminally ill in Romania. Construction works on the new center will start in spring 2012 and should be finalized in the summer of 2013. The center will cover 3,400 sqm on three floors and will offer palliative care services through hospitalization, ambulatory, in day centers and at the cancer patients’ homes. The new hospice will provide around 700 hospitalizations each year for terminally ill cancer patients.

editor@romania-insider.com