Red Cross Gala in St Moritz – you won’t believe these numbers

Are you sitting down?

Before talking about the beautiful Red Cross galas that take place in St Moritz and Gstaad every year, I’m going to give you the first number I heard during my evening in St. Moritz and I couldn’t believe: in the world there are 1.1 billion people who need an eye surgery or correction and can’t afford it (you read it well: 1.1 billion). When Thomas Zeltner, President of the Swiss Red Cross, said this number, I had to Google it to make sure I understood correctly. And for that, I used one of my three pairs of reading glasses…

The glamorous side

But there is also a beautiful and glamorous side to Red Cross Gala season, which I really enjoyed at the Kulm hotel, where the event took place: the beautiful objects of art and the experiences offered during the auctions, and the elegant evening during which one can enjoy great food, live music and, of course, the evening dresses on the red carpet.

I attended the first Red Cross Gala and fell in love with one of the pictures on sale, by David Yarrow Photography, a sensual and dramatic image that to me represents St. Moritz, always so over the top.

The other part I liked was how Christa Rigozzi , the presenter, whose moderating style I already had the opportunity to admire more than once, gently and yet firmly pushed people to donate. She reminded them that every donation can be taken off from tax, she proposed to split donations between two different tables so they could still reach a high target, she didn’t stop until she got high offers, and she personally really helped to reach the final donation of 659,330 CHF (adding both galas). That is the other number I could hardly believe, since the world is so difficult right now. It was very comforting to see that there are so many generous people, and to see how many people at the Swiss Red Cross help every day, in very difficult situations.

Impressions

In the meantime, I was chatting to some gorgeous ladies like Swiss Red Cross Ambassadors Mélanie Freymond, Manuela Frey and singer Nubyia, I also took some pictures, and of course I enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of the press table, where I was sitting. A fashion note: many ladies wore red, and when seen all together they looked super cool.

My outfit is rented at Ragfair.

Below, some impressions of the evening.

Photos: Gabriel Lado, Jean-luc Auboeuf, Harold Cunningham