Business & Money | Sunday 27 November, 2016 2:11 am |

To kick of the 2016 FORMULA 1 ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX, the Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat al Beri, Abu Dhabi, in partnership with famous motorsport photographer Mark Sutton and F1™ reporter and event organizer Inga Stracke hosted a fundraiser reception to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation® UAE.

Fabulous limited edition race posters, special original signed racing drivers photographs, VIP tickets to Amber Lounge, special F1 paintings, memorabilia and more were auctioned off to raise funds to grant Children’s wishes and make them smile.

The evening event saw VIP appearances by: Renault F1™ driver Jolyon Palmer and his father, ex Grand Prix™ driver and race track owner Jonathan Palmer, Hermann Tilke (Tilke Engineering designed and built Yas Marina Circuit), F1™ Safety Car driver Bernd Mayländer, Artist Armin Flossdorf, F1™ pitlane icon Kai Ebel, motorsport manager Werner Heinz, representatives of Manor Racing and other F1™ teams, award winning motorsport photographer Mark Sutton and other special guests.

The driver who won the race for the first sold item was Max Verstappen, as his photo with original signature was purchased before the stage presentation even began with interested buyers lining up. 
The two ‘class of 2016’ group shot with original signatures by all drivers went high in the bidding, with excitement increasing in the ballroom of Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat al Beri, Abu Dhabi. To celebrate the Grand Prix™ weekend in style, the two VIP tickets donated by Amber Lounge, for the best F1™- after party were auctioned and will not only make the buyer smile but also help fulfil a precious wish of a child. 
The impressive collection of donated signed pictures, paintings and one-of-a-kind posters lead to yet another donation by no other than FIA F1™ safety car driver Bernd Mayländer of his race suit from the Brazilian Grand Prix ™, signed by title contenders Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. A total of over US$6,000 (AED 21,000) was raised.

Inga Stracke, co-organiser says: “A child’s smile is the most precious thing in the world! We all had a busy and great racing season. To unite at the final race to help fulfil these children’s wishes and support the good cause of Make-A-Wish Foundation® UAE is an honour and pleasure. We thank your partners and look forward to continue this fundraiser, encouraging everyone to join by bidding for those fabulous pictures.”

A few remaining items that were not sold on the evening are now available for guests and interested collectors at Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat al Beri, Abu Dhabi and online. Please inquire with Hima Duggirala, Communications Manager at the Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri. Please email all requests to: hima.duggirala@shangri-la.com

Guests may visit the hotel and experience the exhibition of memorabilia. The fundraiser will support all of Make-A-Wish Foundation ®UAE’s initiatives to help young children make their personal aspirations come true. In October 2003, Make-A-Wish® Foundation UAE became the global organisation’s first office in the gulf region. The foundation is led by President, Honorary Chairman and Lifetime Patron HH Sheikha Sheikha Bint Saif Bin Mohammad Al Nahyan. Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi supports the foundation and shares its vision to grant the wish of every eligible child living in the UAE by supporting wish-granting and social activities. Wish Kids may wish to meet a celebrity or a race-car driver, make a movie clip or visit a local attraction or event. Wishes are as unique as the children.

A team of people have joined forces to make this fund raising event extraordinary. This initiative would not be possible without the support of the world’s top racing drivers, Mark Sutton of global motorsports photo agency Sutton Images from the United Kingdom, Formula One journalist Inga Stracke from Germany and, of course, the team at Make-A-Wish Foundation® UAE.

About Shangri-La

Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts currently owns and/or manages more than 90 hotels under the Shangri-La brand with a room inventory of over 38,000. Shangri-La hotels are five-star deluxe properties featuring extensive luxury facilities and services. Shangri-La hotels are located in Australia, Canada, mainland China, Fiji, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Sultanate of Oman, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. The group has a substantial development pipeline with upcoming projects in mainland China, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Myanmar, Philippines, Qatar and Sri Lanka. For more information and reservations, please contact a travel professional or access the website at
www.shangri-la.com. For digitised pictures of the group’s hotels, please go to www.shangri-la.com/imagelibrary.

 
A special Thank You goes to our generous partners:

About Amber Lounge 
Amber Lounge was founded by Sonia Irvine, who has worked in F1™ for 20 years and launched the famed Amber Lounge at the Monaco Grand Prix in 2003, a stylish, unique, VIP nightlife experience where F1™ teams, drivers, sponsors, royalty, VIP guests and celebrities can relax and enjoy themselves away from the glare of press and media. Sonia is regarded as a pioneer of F1™ nightlife experiences and continues to create the most sought after events on the F1™ calendar. For 14 years Amber Lounge has hosted events in glamorous locations throughout the world including Shanghai, Valencia, Delhi and Barcelona.

The Winning bidder will have 2 exclusive tickets to the Original, Ultimate VIP Formula 1 Grand Prix After Party, Amber Lounge. 
The tickets include VIP entrance; access all areas, free seating on the chill out terrace and unlimited complimentary Champagne, wines and all other beverages, all night. As the original F1 after party, Amber Lounge has been throwing the ultimate VIP after parties for over a decade. Join us for the finale of the 2016 Grand Prix racing calendar in Abu Dhabi!

Value: USD 1,650 AED 6,000

Armin Flossdorf began painting F1 cars, 10 years ago after attending his first race and was given the seal of approval by Bernie Ecclestone himself who bought a painting that Flossdorf had painted of him with the late F1 legend Ayrton Senna. His work will be on show at Shangri-La between 23-28, with 10-15 one-of-a-kind pieces. Flossdorf will participate with a live painting show where he will create one of his action paintings in a few hours.

He has donated two stunning original F1™ paintings for our fundraiser.

Value: USD 5,000 AED 20,000 per painting

Manor Racing is the Formula One team with a start-up mentality and an upstart ambition. We have new blood alongside loyal pros - all hell-bent on making the impossible possible. We're nimble, fast operators with an obsession for incredible technology. But we also have a soft spot for the romance of racing. We want to capture and live the original spirit of the sport.

Manor racing donated a full set of 21 2016 season vintage race posters. The team started designing these retro-look race posters for every Grand Prix in the beginning of 2016. Within a short period of time, the posters have become very popular and a real asset for the team. The posters feature the race car, drivers or any other element associated with Manor Racing and highlighting cultural elements of the places they visit throughout the season. Each poster gives credit to Manor Racing employees in the “starring section”.

Value: USD 12,300 AED 45,300

The Make-A-Wish Foundation® UAE (the “Foundation”) is part of an international non-profit organization with 38 affiliate offices around the world, in nearly 50 countries. A wish is granted every 22 minutes, on average, somewhere in the world.

Our mission is to grant the one true wish of children between the ages of 3-18 living with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.

In October 2003 The Make-A-Wish Foundation® UAE became the first office for the Gulf Region. The Foundation is led by President, Honorary Chairman and Lifetime Patron, HH Sheikha Sheikha Bint Saif Bin Mohammad Al Nahyan.

 
Our VIP appearance: 
Hermann Tilke and Dr. Carsten Tilke

"Tilke Engineers & Architects" originally established in 1983, is recognized as the world’s leading designer for racetrack and test facilities. We are one of the most experienced companies when it comes to planning and construction management pertaining to major projects within the automotive industry and motorsports sector. Tilke aims to design individual and state-of-the-art race tracks including grandstands, pit buildings, team buildings and other infrastructure facilities by fulfilling their clients’ needs and the permanently changing requirements on track-layout and safety. A unique balance between these requirements, an enormous engineering experience and competence as well as Hermann Tilke’s individual racing driver career, makes the company a reliable and most valuable planning partner in the field of track design.
Besides developments directly relating to the automotive sector, Tilke is also involved in the design of hotels, administration buildings, housing projects, malls, and any sports and leisure facilities.

Our company comprises of an interdisciplinary and highly passionate team of engineers, architects, consultants and race drivers operating in various offices around the globe.
Tilke’s services include civil engineering, architecture as well as electromechanical engineering and electronic engineering from the first initial concept to detailed design, construction supervision and project management.

Sutton Images is the world’s largest independent motorsport image agency covering Formula One since 1960-2015, with over one million images online and an archive of over five million images.

Inga Stracke is a multi-talented journalist and presenter, event organizer and networker, who is at home in the Formula 1 paddocks around the world, helping to organize fundraisers and reporting for a network of newspapers, magazines and media outlets. She also writes culinary features for MICHELIN-Restaurants and works as a PR consultant.