Industry Ball offers hope to sick children

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Bookings are coming in for the 2003 Raven Fox Fantasy Ball, in aid of children's charity Dreamflight

The charity, founded in 1986 by Derek Pereira and Patricia Pearce together with a small group of British Airways staff, raises money to send seriously ill children on holiday to Disneyworld in Florida.

Once a year Dreamflight charters a BA Boeing 747 to fly 192 children to Florida, with the help of volunteers and several medical staff. The charity spends £2,000 ($3,160) per child, with the total cost of each trip rising to more than £400,000 ($632,000).

Since the first Raven Fox Ball in 1996, the generosity of the duty-free industry has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities including the Chernobyl Children's Project, the Turkish Earthquake Appeal and Cosmetic Executive Women France. Raven Fox hopes to raise a record amount at this year's event, which will be held at London's Grosvenor House Hotel on Friday March 7.

A table of 10 at the Ball costs £1,650 ($2,605) plus VAT, while individual tickets cost £165 ($260) plus VAT.

• For details and to pledge prizes contact Raven Fox conferences manager Rossella Golluscio on tel: +44 20 7303 1727 or email rgolluscio@travelretailworld.com