October 2008
First Anniversary Pistorio Foundation Singapopre Chapter Charity Dinner
Pistorio Foundation, Singapore Chapter, Anniversary Dinner Oct 30th 2008:
At the beautiful setting of il Lido restaurant in the Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore, the Pistorio Foundation held a 1-year anniversary dinner celebration and fundraiser for the Singapore chapter of the Foundation. The event was attended by members of the business and diplomatic community, and raised more than SGD 135,000 to go toward the foundation’s school infrastructure project and education scholarships in the hill tribe region of Chiang Rai, Thailand.

The activities of the evening included a ‘live’ auction of donated items such as weekend stays in boutique hotels in The Fort Printers, Sri Lanka & JIA Shanghai, Gio Monaco watches, Loro Piana fabric, suite weekend in Singapore’s Shangri La Hotel, one-of-of a kind gold and white jade earrings by Julinda Chia Morgan, Eye Thermage Treatment, Samsonite luggage, just to name a few. Also a key highlight of the evening was the ‘silent’ auction of a specially designed “Asian Red Bustier and Gown” donated by the Italian fashion house, La Perla.  The gown is made from silk faille, covered in lace and adorned with hundreds of Swarovski crystals, and was worn by well-known model and television celebrity, Denise Keller. During the auction, the 110 guests dined on a 4-course meal, elegantly prepared by and sponsored by il Lido, and wines sponsored by Denise Wines.  Popular TV & radio host, Vernetta Lopez, kindly provided her expertise as an energetic and lively Master of Ceremony for the evening. Also adding to the excitement and fun of the evening, was volunteer auctioneer, Eduard Peter, head of Deutsche Bank Asset Management Asia, who cajoled lively bidding amongst the guests.

	Pistorio Foundation, Singapore Chapter, Anniversary Dinner Oct 30th 2008

Summer 2008
Following the dramatic consequences of the Cyclone Nargis that struck Myanmar on May 2, 2008, and has left hundreds of thousands of children and their families homeless, the Pistorio Foundation has devolved 20 000 CHF to Save the Children for emergency relief to victims.

The Pistorio Foundation has donated 20 000 CHF to the Chinese Red Cross Foundation for victims of the devastating earthquake that has struck the Sichuan Province of China on May 12, 2008, killing tens of thousands and leaving millions homeless.

June 2008
Charity Luncheon at the residence of H.E. Amb. Folco de Luca Gabrielli sponsored by Bulgari
More than 100 guests from the Southeast Asia business and diplomatic world attended a charity luncheon hosted by H.E. Amb. Folco de Luca Gabrielli and Mrs. de Luca Gabrielli at their residence in the leafy suburbs of Singapore. The event was sponsored by Bulgari and a generous portion of the proceeds from the sale of stunning Bulgari jewelry and handbags was donated by Bulgari to the Pistorio Foundation's Chaing Rai Village project, and together with the jewelry sales, along with private donations, the event raised SGD 11,000.

The luncheon was attended by business community leaders, including Mr. & Mrs. Guibert, CEO of ST Microelectronics Asia Pacific Region and Justine Wingrove, CEO of Singapore’s Parkway Hospital Group. Also supporting Pistorio Foundation at the event were diplomats and embassy representatives from the Embassies of Australia, Norway, Ireland, Panama, Hungary, Poland, South Africa, Austria, Spain, Pakistan, Netherlands, Canada, Switzerland, Ukraine and Chile.

Many thanks from Pistorio Foundation for the generous support of H.E. Amb. Folco de Luca Gabrielli and Mrs. de Luca Gabrielli for hosting a wonderful luncheon and providing the opportunity for us to build awareness for our development projects in Asia, and to enable us to raise money to fund an elementary school campus in the hill-tribe village of Ban Mhai Pattanà, Chiang Rai, Thailand. Also a big thank you to Bulgari and the guests who attended the event and made donations.

May 2008
Pistorio Foundation Live Auction at the Singapore Polo Club May 16th
On a tropical night the16th of May in Singapore, the Pistorio Foundation held a successful fundraiser at one of the premier polo events in Southeast Asia, the Cartier International Polo Tournament, at the Singapore Polo Club.  The event is a highlight on the annual social calendar in Singapore, and a live charity auction to benefit the Pistorio Foundation’s Chiang Rai Village Program was hosted by TV personality May Lee during the tournament’s gala dinner.

Generous patrons to the event contributed more than SGD 32,500 toward the foundation, and this money will all go towards the construction of a primary school dormitory in the hill-tribe village of Ban Mhai Pattanà, Chiang Rai, Thailand.

The gala dinner was attended by a number of local and international celebrities and distinguished guests such as Princess Bhargavi of Mewar , Bollywood star Kabir Bedi, as well as Singaporean property developer and club polo captain, Satinder Garcha and spouse, Harpreet Bedi Garcha.

Many thanks to the generous sponsors of the Pistorio Foundation Live Auction: the Singapore Polo Club, the Jaipur Riding and Polo Club, the Raffles Hotel, Ferrari, Emmanuel Stroobant, Cartier, Loro Piana, and artist Om Mee Ai.

March 2008
Rome, Palazzo Barberini
On March 13, 2008 a fundraising event took place in Rome associated with an art exhibit of Lisa Zanatta, spouse of Pasquale Pistorio and well established Italian painter. Lisa presented 50 works at the prestigious venue of the Palazzo Barbernini in Rome and preventively donated her artwork to the Pistorio Foundation which in turn would award as a gift one painting to any donor who would make a donation of a certain amount to the Foundation. The entire cost of the event and exhibit was sustained personally by the artist so that 100% of any donation would go to the Burkina Faso project for the construction of a secondary school, in partnership with CIAI (Centro Italiano Aiuto all’Infanzia).

About 400 guests attended the event, during which Art Critics presented the work of Lisa Zannatta while Pasquale Pistorio delivered a presentation on the Foundation and in particular on the Burkina Faso Project. Amongst distinguished guests were public personalities Minister for Innovation of Public Administration Luigi Nicolais, President of the Parliamentary Commission on Constitutional Affairs Enzo Bianco, Senator Ignazio Marino, the Tunisian Ambassador in Italy Habib Mansour, the Italian Ambassador to Singapore Folco de Luca Gabrielli, and various personalities of the Italian business and cultural community including Giuseppe Vita, Diana Frescobaldi, Piero Ignudi, Gabriele Galateri, Roberto Italia, Ettore Artioli, Carlo Ottaviani, Paolo Annunziato, Luca de Nicola, Falltère Pierottini, Vincenzo Damiani, Vincenzo Massari, Aldo Romano, Alessandro Distante, Tony Binarelli. The event contributed to raise over 40 000 Euros for the Burkina Faso project.

February 2008
Singapore Chapter of Pistorio Foundation raises S$28,490 for Underprivileged Children in Chiang Rai, Thailand
Close to 90 people braved the rain to attend the launch of the Singapore Chapter of the Pistorio Foundation on February 1, 2008. Held as a private event at the Picotin Restaurant, the Foundation sought to raise S$15,000 to benefit its Education for Life Program in aid of the Chiang Rai Village Project in Thailand. Among the guests present were representatives from the private industry and the Economic Development Board, and the Italian Ambassador.

During the event, members of the Board and supporters of the Foundation recalled the purpose of the Foundation and objectives, presented a brief on the projects so far undertaken and spread the awareness on the plight of unprivileged children around the world.

Through personal donations received and a live auction , the event raised a total of S$28,788 for the Chiang Rai Village Project, surpassing all expectations, thanks to the generosity and support of those present.

The Chiang Rai Village project allows for hill tribe village children to live with their families while attending school. The project currently covers the daily nutrition, uniform and school furniture and transportation of over 250 children to school. The money raised will contribute towards the building of a primary school adjacent to one of the villages so that at least 50 children will be within walking distance and many more will not have to travel long distances to get a good education. One hundred per cent of the money raised (S$28,788) will be used to help fund the primary school construction project in Chiang Rai.

The Pistorio Foundation operates with the support of local partners and volunteers, and through special projects with NGOs and non-profit organizations that share its philosophy of operating with minimal or no overhead costs. For more information on the Pistorio Foundation and its projects, visit www.pistoriofoundation.org