Donnerstag, 14. Mai 2015

Life Ball 2015 in Vienna

A year goes by so fast and it's time for the next Life Ball on Saturday, May 16 in Vienna. And still, I find it very important to point out the importance of fighting the still deathly disease AIDS. But one can defend oneself to 100 percent from getting this dsease.

Conchita Wurst as Gustav Klimts „Goldene Adele“, photographed by Ellen von Unwerth
Here a few facts: The number of HIV-infections has decreased since 2001 by 44 percent, but only 30 percent of HIV-infected are treated accordingly. Still there are about 1,5 Million people dying from AIDS. Therefore, spectacles like this are still crucial to raise money. The earnings from the Life Ball are going to national and international organizations like the "Foundation for Aids-Research" (amfAR), the "Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project" (CTAOP) or the "Clinton Health Access Initiative" (CHAI).

As in previous years, there will be a lot of prominent people so that the whole world will notice. Besides Jean Paul Gaultier, Charlize Theron und Mary J. Blige there will also be Kelly Osbourne, Carmen Electra, Dita von Teese or Paula Abdul. This year, for the 11th time the "Crystal of Hope Award" with 100.000 Euro will be given to the organization "Sentebale" of prince Harry of Wales and prince Seeiso of Lesotho. This charity supports with its "Herd Boys" programme herd boys in Lesotho to get education. 

Around the Life Ball there are also other charity events. On Wednesday evening the "Salon Imperial" took place. There, projects that were given the "Crystal of Hope Award" in the last years, showed what they had done so far with the money. On this picture of this event, there is also Lena Hoschek who has collected money from her charity project for the SWAP – Safe Water and AIDS Project.

Life Ball / (c) Raimund Appel
On Friday, the first VIPs like Kelly Osbourne and Carmen Electra and other guests will arrive on a plane from New York. On the evening, the "Red Ribbon Celebration Concert" in Burgtheater will take place. Singer Anna Netrebko and Placido Domingo will perform. Afterwards there will be a Welcome Cocktail at Hotel Le Meridien.

On the event day itself, the "First Ladies Luncheon" at Schloss Belvedere and the "Aids Solidarity Gala" with auction f.i. of the Adele-dress worn by Conchita Wurst on the poster above will take place. The evening starts with the gigantic opening ceremony with the theme "Ver Sacrum" (Latin for sacred spring), which will also be broadcasted on ORF live beginning at 9:30 p.m. 

The presenters are the Irish comedian Graham Norton, Austrian comedian Andreas Vitasek, German actor Jürgen Maurer and TV presenter Alice Tumler (Eurovision Song Contest). Highlights are the entry of the debutants, the performances of Trevor Jackson and Soul-Diva Mary J. Blige. 20 years after his first Life Ball runway show, Jean Paul Gaultier will present a fashion show with Kelly Osbourne or Carmen Electra as models.

To get an impression of the Life Ball, visit my report from last year here

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