Melbourne’s advertising fraternity digs deep to raise $72,000 for the Lighthouse Foundation

On Thursday evening, some 200 people filled the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art for the 7th Annual Lighthouse Art Auction. Many thanks to Rocky Ranallo, Bruce Baldwin, Alex Fenton, Ron Mather, Ted Powell, Fysh Rutherford and Chris Tovo for generously donating artwork. Over 80 pieces were donated this year, including artworks by Jeff Martin, David Bromley and Matt Martino. This year they exceeded their target and raised an amazing $72,000 for the Lighthouse Foundation.

The proceeds will help Lighthouse continue to care for young people in need.

The event would not have been such a great success without auctioneer Martin Farrah, MC Fysh Rutherford (Twenty20), a team of dedicated volunteers, and very generous sponsors: The Communications Council, B&T, Menzies Art Brands, Red Energy, Coopers, Redbank, Natio, X-Group, Campaign Brief and Southside Catering. The 8th Lighthouse Annual Art Auction will be held in December 2011.

Check out www.lighthouseartauction.com.au for more photos of the event.

Some seven years ago, Kelly Addis from agency the BoilerRoom organised a number of ‘artists’ from Melbourne’s advertising agencies to create and donate pieces of art to be auctioned at the Cherry Tree Hotel in Richmond. The cause? The Lighthouse Foundation; a Melbourne-based charity that takes in homeless kids, and provides not just a roof over their heads, but a warm and loving home environment. Over 500 kids have now had their lives transformed by Lighthouse. Fenton Stephens Advertising have managed and marketed the event for the last two years seeing the event profile and level of industry support grow year by year.