The auction lots were offered by Uzbek pop singers Rashid Halikov and Shakhriyor, boutiques Eve and Madina, as well as Gulnara, the author of the project. The proceeds from this year’s auction will be channeled into the implementation of the project “Peace Day”, run by the Women’s Council jointly with the Special Olympics Uzbekistan, UNDP and UNICEF. The event to support disabled children will take place on 21 September 2010.

The Charitable Ball has been held for the third time. This time it has concluded a whole string of events targeted at children, spread throughout a month after the International Child Protection Day. At the initiative of Gulnara Karimova, throughout June the Fund Forum, Mehr nuri Public Foundation alongside partners organized events for children under a campaign titled “31 Days of Childhood”, emphasizing primarily children from orphanages and low-income families.

The Charitable Ball was organized by the Women’s Council with support from the Fund Forum, magazines Bella Terra, Jannat Makon and Baby Terra, Markaz television channel, Tashkent City Mayor’s Office and art studio “Sakura Project”, Sunday Entertainment Agency, “ALS Family” and “Eventa” holiday organizers, private schools and kindergartens in Tashkent (Oltin qanot, Sehriyo, Alexander Academy, Unicum, Bek Kichkintoy) as well as company “Geomax” and Supermarket “Demir”.

The importance of the project is obvious as the raised funds will benefit socially vulnerable children. The charitable balls held in 2008 and 2009 saw 52 orphanages across Uzbekistan receive school belongings, sports attire, warm clothes, winter shoe wear, home appliances and food. Over 3,000 children have benefited from these efforts.

The proceeds from the most recent charitable ball will go toward supporting the trainees of Tashkent Specialized Orphanage for Children with Polio and supporting the Charitable Fund for speech- and hearing-impaired children.

This year again the Program allowed children and parents alike not just to feel like guests, but to be direct participants of the holiday. Play stations for children – “Hipsters”, “Disco Dancer”, “Young Reporter”, “I Can Sing”, “I am a Conjurer”, “I am a Photo Model” and “We Draw” – were organized within the charitable ball. The event was attended by pop music celebrities Rashid Halikov, Shakhriyor, Samandar and Raikhon among others.

World Peace Day was established in 1981 by the UN General Assembly. In 2001, the UN adopted a new resolution according to which Peace Day occurs annually on September 21 as a day of global ceasefire, non-violence and advocacy of peace throughout the world. Uzbekistan has hosted friendly matches on 21 September three times. Similar competitions are organized in 156 countries across the world under the slogan “One Day – One Goal”.