GALA OF GIGGLES & GLITZ
Credit: Umi Creative
What a night it was…
The 10th October 2026 saw an evening full of glamour, glitz, giggles and surprises. Held on the beautiful grounds of Aravina Estate in the Chardonnay Room, Yallingup. Guests arrived and were met with glasses of sparkling wine, beer, roaming canapés and soulful tunes by Busselton local and Australian Idol top 30, Kiedis Solberg. After mingling and enjoying gourmet bites, guests were seated and welcomed by our MC’s Travis and Ben as the main part of the evening commenced.
Welcomed to the stage was Co-founder, Melanie Watts, who spoke about the beginning of our fundraising events, what it meant to her to have everyones support and to thank the local businesses who gave so much to make the event such a success. Guests were then treated to live performances by Mitch & Evan, Fia & Ethan and moving words by Trevor Lawrence-Brown from Down South Sports & Rehab who spoke about Patrick’s journey and the impact of MND while enjoying an amazing banquet feast for entrees and mains.
The highlight of the evening was having internationally recognised comedian Dave Thornton on stage with his wit and humour entertaining us with his antics and, during the live auctions, showcasing a beautiful pair of earrings kindly donated by Nina’s Jewellers.
With an array of wonderful donations from local businesses, silent auction items were able to be bid on through a digital platform throughout the evening with guests able to track their favourites and re-bid if they were out-bid. However, one of the biggest surprises of the night came from Nina's Jewellers, who generously donated a rare Blue Argyle Diamond for a surprise live auction, creating one of the most memorable moments of the evening.
During the nights proceedings, some of our lovely local dancing ladies from Dunsborough Dance Co and Suspensions Aerial Arts & Burlesque in their glitz and glamour moved around the room selling raffle tickets, merchandise and helping to make the night a great success. Spoilt Photo Booths had their 360 booth creating some fun entertainment for guests throughout the evening with all kinds of props and encouragement from Peter who kindly donated the booth and his time to help guide guests to navigate its use.
The 2025 Gala of Giggles & Glitz came to a close with an incredible sense of pride and gratitude, as our community once again came together to make a powerful impact in the fight against Motor Neurone Disease.
Thanks to your generosity and support, we are proud to share that a total of $50,000 has been donated to directly support people living with MND and advance vital research. This includes $20,000 donated to Patrick and Lara, helping to ease the financial and practical challenges they face as Patrick continues his courageous journey with MND. Their strength and openness in sharing their story have touched the hearts of many and inspired our community to give generously. In addition, $17,500 has been directed towards MND research, driving progress toward better treatments and, ultimately, a cure, while $12,500 has been donated to MND WA to assist with vital care, equipment, and support services for others living with the disease.
This remarkable result is a true reflection of the compassion, generosity, and dedication of our sponsors, guests, volunteers, and the South West community who continue to stand beside us in our mission to bring hope and support to those affected by this devastating disease.
The success of this year’s Gala would not have been possible without the effort, teamwork, and commitment of everyone involved. From our incredible performers, partners and sponsors to every guest who gave so generously, your contribution helped make this night one to remember.
We would like to give a special mention to Matthew from Umi Creative who captured the night for us. You can view and purchase photos from the evening for a small fee here.
OUR SPONSORS
OUR SUPPORTERS
Thank you to the following businesses who donated items to our silent auction:
Amelia Park Wines, Art by Callum Scott, Astair Organic Hair & Makeup, Bacchus Family Wines, Beerfarm, Botanik Yallingup, Breeze Beach Villa Gnarabup, Canal Rocks Beach Front Apartments, Cape Mentelle, Cape Naturaliste Vineyard, Clairault Streicker Wines, Credaro Family Estate, Domaine Naturaliste, Dreambird Wines, Dunsborough Jet Ski Tours, Emma Lees Art, Blue Wren Framers, Yala Yallingup previously Empire Spa & Retreat, Yallingup Maze, The Par 3, Hay Shed Hill Wines, After Hours Wines, Eagle Bay Brewing Co, House of Cards, Lenton Brae, Mr Barvel Fine Wines, Marq Wines, Naturaliste Charters, Nocturne Wines, Pullmans Bunker Bay Resort, Swings & Roundabouts, Vasse Felix, Wills Domain Winery, Windance Estate, Xanadu Wines, Next Level Monkey Business, ALTR