Stars in the Garden: Talk of the Town… of Walkerville

30 July 2018 / Supporters, Team

Over the past five years, our community of supporters has really embraced the Stars in the Garden lunch event and our cause. Since its inception, the event has generated an astonishing $870,000+ to support our programs!

This is in no small part due to our hosts, Melanie and Robert Champion de Crespigny, who continue to be two of our most generous and steadfast supporters and we thank them for once again opening their stunning garden for us. Last year’s event raised a record-breaking $344,000, which has positively impacted hundreds of young people across SA.

This event, along with Melanie’s support on the Youth Opportunities board, is one of the many reasons she has been honoured as Citizen of the Year for the Town of Walkerville. A much-deserved accolade for Melanie, who dedicates so much of her time, energy and resources to YO, not only as a board member, but also by advocating for the work we do, and raising vital funds to ensure we can continue doing it!

Taking place on Saturday December 1st this year, guests coming along to this highlight in Youth Opps event calendar will be treated to a magnificent afternoon of food, wine and entertainment. We are also honoured to welcome Oxford University Professor Julian Savulescu as the guest speaker, a captivating orator on a variety of medical ethics topics, so we are looking forward to a fascinating address!

As always, we will hear from students at the event, but many guests do not then get the opportunity to hear from the students who they have directly supported through the event. One of those beneficiaries is Emily from the South East and we wanted to share the impact that the funds raised at Stars in the Garden has had on her life:

“This experience is one I will never forget. It has changed my mindset and it has got me out of dark times… I was broken, unconfident, trapped in my own thoughts, I knew something had to change. Youth Opportunities came at the right time. As the weeks went by and I did my challenges, I immediately felt a difference in myself. Just little changes have made me happier. I feel like I have drawn a line in the sand and walked over it. I have moved on and now I only concentrate on the present and future. I still have bad days but they never last long and I can get myself to be happy. I AM happy. I am proud of my progress and I wouldn’t be in this place without Youth Opps. I smile each day now.”

So please watch out for more info on this year’s “Stars in the Garden” and help us help more kids who need it most, while enjoying the superb hospitality of Melanie and Robert.

Categories: Supporters, Team