The Baird Institute’s Christmas “Cocktails and Conversation” was held on Wednesday 8 December, 2016 at the Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel.
Our special guest for the night, award winning Australian Journalist and TV Broadcaster, Monica Attard, interviewed The Baird Institute’s chairman, Professor Paul Bannon and Dr James Edelman the recipient of the Baird Institute’s inaugural Medtronic Heart Fellowship. They discussed the work they are currently involved in, their research achievements, the surgical and clinical challenges they face and the opportunities that lie ahead.
Our Executive Director, Michelle Sloane, celebrated the achievements of a number of our hardworking donors who have fundraised tirelessly for the Baird Institute over the years. One of these fabulous donors is Pat Johnson who had a goal to fundraise $40,000. With her most recent fundraising effort – a Christmas Ball in Gulgong, NSW – Pat fell just short of her goal. However an anonymous donor stepped in and gave Pat $500 which meant that the total of her fundraising efforts over the years had now arrived at $40,000! This is an amazing milestone and as such, Pat was presented with a certificate and a lovely big bunch of flowers of which she was so deserving. We are ever so grateful to Pat for all that she has done for the Baird Institute!
The night ended with the drawing of the raffle tickets. Philippa Baird, the wife of the Institute’s founder, Professor Douglas Baird, drew out the 5 winning tickets. There were many wonderful prizes to go around – a lovely food hamper, bottles of Piper Heidsieck champagne, a beautiful Singapore Orchid and High Tea for two in the Tea Room at the Queen Victoria Building. A wonderful night was had by all as we focused on, and celebrated the Baird Institute’s mission, to foster research and apply science to improve the outcomes for patients facing heart or lung surgery.
THE FABULOUS VIEW FROM THE WOOLLOOMOOLOO BAY HOTEL MADE THE EVENING EVEN MORE SPECIAL
