Another year has passed, spring is in the air, and once again supporters and friends of Little Hearts in Belgium gathered for the annual Big Little Hearts Garden Party, which took place on Thursday, May 18th. The setting this time was not a castle or country manor, but rather Hangar 27, a stylishly modern multifunctional venue in Egedem, near Antwerp.
The party, which is our biggest yearly fundraiser, featured plenty of drinks and a Cambodian menu of delicacies – spring rolls, noodles with shrimp, chicken and veggies, and a delicious curry soup – created by local chef Willy and his Cambodian wife Ratanarith with the help of their daughter Mana and four Cambodian women (Naren, Kossomak, Alin and Sreypich) who wore traditional Cambodian outfits for the event.
And there was music, of course: a delightful performance by Joost Zweegers (a well-known singer in Belgium who is also a good friend of the Geeraerts family and a long-time supporter of Little Hearts) of Novastar Solo and thumping dance music by DJs Daviddof, Dazzi and Ax from Studio Uno.
Hundreds of guests showed up, bringing friends, relatives, colleagues and donors to the event to help raise much-needed funds for Little Hearts’ running expenses as well as our educational and outreach programs, including school and university tuition for our residents.
The event was a huge success, with partying and dancing continuing well into the night. And the best part – the weather was completely on our side, allowing guests to enjoy both indoor and outdoor spaces and to dance al fresco!
A big thanks to everyone who helped put this amazing occasion together – sponsors new and old; the many young volunteers who took time off from their studies to help with ticket sales, setup, tending bar, serving food, advertising, and of course clean-up; Joost for his wonderful (and free) solo performance; Studio Uno and all the DJs; and Dimitri Segers and Olivier Goossens, the owners and managers of Hangar 27, for letting us host the event at their classy venue.
We’re already looking forward to next year’s party!
