Cayman: HFC Gala guests raise funds and rock out at Woodstock

Help for Children Cayman (formerly Hedge Funds Care Cayman) held their annual Open Your Hearts to the Children gala at the Kimpton Seafire on Saturday, 19 November 2022. The flagship event raised an astounding US$300,000 as part of the non-profit organisation’s commitment to prevent, treat and end child abuse in the Cayman Islands.

Over 250 professionals and industry leaders from the financial services and business community attended the Woodstock themed event with 1960s throwback décor and an array of hippy-style clothing complete with flowers, headbands and sequins. The Lionfish band provided fantastic music including hits from Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin to complete the evening.

Guests enjoyed a three-course beach dinner while enjoying the hilarious commentary of Vicki Wheaton who presided over a lively auction of generously donated items including a staycation at Le Soleil d’Or in Cayman Brac, a Breitling Superocean watch and an Audi Q5.  For attendees that were a little shy, a well-stocked virtual silent auction was also available. 

During the gala, Minister of Financial Services and Social Development, Andre Ebanks, addressed the crowd.  He explained that this event displayed how his two ministries, Financial Services and Social Development, could work together to protect the most vulnerable children and families in the community.   Following his speech, there was a poignant video of harrowing child abuse statistics in the Cayman Islands and testimonials from last year’s grantees highlighting their use of funds and the impact made.   

Co-chair of the event, Monette Windsor, thanked all of the guests for opening their hearts and their wallets to support this important cause, as well as the volunteers who worked hard planning the gala and auction.  Following the Woodstock event, the focus turns to distributing the monies raised to not-for-profit organisations in the community that are on the frontlines helping the children.    

Help for Children is an international charity supported largely by the financial services industry. Since its inception in 2005, the Cayman Islands chapter, HFC Cayman, has raised more than US$4.5 million to help prevent and treat child abuse in the Cayman Islands. All funds available for distribution stay in the Cayman Islands and benefit a variety of important local initiatives.

For further information or questions, contact Monette Windsor at 925-0399.