Under the Microscope Winter 2013 | Page 4

Pics from left to right: Guests, Linda Penn, Band, MC: Chris Bath and Seal artwork Gala Dinner From the lion and zebra heads to the leopard print hats and pants – it is hard to pick just one standout moment at this year’s Jeans for Genes Gala Dinner. The animal prints and costume store pick-ups meshed seamlessly with the bow-ties and ball gowns and, while the Jeans for Genes team worked extremely hard to set the room alight with a touch of Africa, it was our guests who brought it to life. Whether they were at the event or involved in our online auction – the atmosphere was electric. We were able to raise at least $220,000 for Children’s Medical Research Institute, surpassing last year’s total of around $170,000 by a long way. A signed pair of singer/song-writer Seal’s jeans, transformed by artist Nafisa, sold for a whopping $18,000 on the night. The Bee Gees’ jeans were next on the top-selling list, followed closely by Ricky Martin’s. Both pairs were transformed into memorable artworks by Kathrin Longhurst and Garry Fleming, respectively. Our MC, journalist and television personality Chris Bath, kicked off proceedings and helped lift the atmosphere to new heights with humour and grace. But one of the most memorable speeches of the night was the heart-felt and very personal story shared by long-time CMRI supporter Linda Penn. It was a wonderful tribute to the work our scientists do and one which won’t be forgotten. Linda’s daughter was born prematurely with life-threatening organ problems, and without immediate microsurgery the baby’s chance of survival was minimal. Microsurgery was pioneered at Children’s Medical Research Institute and if Linda’s daughter had been born just years before this work, the surgery would not have been available. Alex is now an 18-year-old, heading towards a career in science, and one of the standout moments of the evening was when she appeared on stage at the end of Linda’s speech. Director of Children’s Medical Research Institute, Roger Reddel, and Senior Research Scientist, Scott Cohen, also highlighted some of our greatest achievements. But most importantly, they encouraged us to look into the future. Not just a year down the track, but five years and 10 years, with more research, greater discoveries and more lives saved or improved. As Professor Reddel so eloquently put it, “You can’t accuse us of dreaming small.” Thanks to everyone involved in making our 20th Jeans for Genes Gala Dinner such a memorable night, including our major sponsors: South African Airways, Bench International, Burwood Press, Decorative Events, Sofitel, and Robert Oatley. Glue Store manager sticks with us for 300 days... 27-year-old Sydney-sider Matthew Scott wore the same pair of unwashed jeans for 300 days to raise money for Jeans for Genes. “I work as a Denim Manager for Glue Store so I’m all about jeans, and we’ve been involved with Jeans for Genes for a few years now. “Last year I thought, what can I do to help the charity that’s a little bit more than just collecting funds? And I came up with this idea,” Matt said. “Summer was extremely difficult, because we had the hottest ever day on record here (Sydney), which was almost 46 degrees. It was brutal.” His efforts haven’t gone unrewarded. Matt aimed to raise $2000 for Jeans for Genes by August 2nd and has now raised over $3200. Star Alliance Scholarship winner PhD student, Lia Moshkanbaryans, gave a passionate thank you speech at the Jeans for Genes Gala Dinner where she was awarded the Star Alliance Travel Scholarship for 2013. Star Alliance’s 26 members include some of the world’s leading airlines, including Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand, Air Canada and United. The award was presented to Lia by Air Canada’s General Manager for Australia and New Zealand, Mr Paul McLean. The scholarship provides a Round the World ticket for the winner to attend an international conference to enhance their knowledge and research skills. Lia was very grateful for this chance to meet with international research leaders. “I plan to attend the BIO-Europe 2013 conference,” Lia says. “I want to transition into the science commercialisation industry after completion of my PhD, since this is a field I regard as highly important to the link between research and society. “The work we do as researchers always has a social benefit in mind, but that is not enough. Science commercialisation helps a discovery, such as a life-saving vaccine, go from bench to clinic, and that’s what I want to be involved with.”