UNESCO-Gala 2009 - Donations despite Global Economic Crises

On the 14th of November 2009 1.400 international guests came to the Maritim Hotel at Düsseldorf Airport to donate money for a very good cause. Ute Ohoven had once again sent out a call for generosity.
Denise Rich, Forest Whitaker, Bud Spencer and Jane Fonda appeared at the gala as UNESCO ambassadors. Oscar prize winner Jane Fonda made a passionate appeal: “We must give more the chance to attain more education then it will be possible to solve many problems.”

Bud Spencer told of his “godchild” that he got to know whilst shooting a film in South Africa during the Apartheid regime.  Bud Spencer was not permitted to enter the restaurant with the boy and afterwards decided to take him back to Rom and enable him to have a better life - meanwhile “the little one” is a successful lawyer.

US fashion designer Tommy Hilfinger and Karlheinz Böhm were honoured for their longstanding commitment to social causes. Numerous project have been initiated by both which have made valuable contributions to improving the life of the needy and poor.
Estefania Küster, Roberto Blanco, Bernd Herzsprung, Mareike Amado and Ralf Zacherl were actively involved as in trying to entice the guests to buy lottery tickets.
Praivit once again donated holidays worth up to 32.000 Euros. The main prize was a one week stay in the luxury hotel Angsana Resort & Spa Velavaru on the Maldives.

For the first time UNESCO did not release the total amount raised on at the gala evening. Ronan Keating, Jermaine Jackson and Paul Potts provided the musical entertainment.