May the Fork be with you
February 2012
STAR WARS FANS RAISE SUBSTANTIAL SUM FOR MEDICINEMA AT THE OFFICIAL STARS WARS QUIZ WARS
MediCinema held its Star Wars Charity Dinner and Quiz at the Hilton Park Lane Hilton on Thursday 2nd February 2011 raising a five figure sum for the charity that installs and manages permanent state –of- the- art cinemas in hospitals.
MediCinema's 500 guests were joined by over 40 Star Wars characters at a Champagne reception before Star Wars loving celebrities took on the Sci-Fi loving guests in a battle to become MediCinema Quiz Wars Champions 2012. The geeky but glamorous Dinner and Quiz was the first of its kind and a great success for MediCinema, whose cinemas improve the difficult realities of treatment for seriously ill hospital patients and their families.
The Quiz was invigilated by an army of watchful Storm Troopers as two tables of celebrities took on the guests for the new but coveted trophy. Edith Bowman, who hosted the night with Quiz Master Alex Zane and auctioneer Martin Bayfield, arrived dressed as Princess Leia in glittering Robinson Pelham brown and yellow diamond jewellery. Special rounds were hosted by cast members Warwick Davis and Jeremy Bulloch, and we saw a video link with MediCinema patron Nick Frost who served up his own dish of Star Wars trivia in round three.
In the live auction, Dougie Poynter and Tom Fletcher from McFly joined guests in the bid for money can't buy lots including Jedi Master Class training at Elstree Studios, under Star Wars stunt master Nick Gillard, and a trip to view California's most coveted Star Wars Collection at Obi Wan Ranch in San Francisco. Brian May’s electric guitar was also one of the auction's attractions, going to the London Film Museum for an undisclosed sum.
Seven Year Old MediCinema user Uzayr Haider, who is recovering from a recent kidney transplant and has spent an extensive amount of time in hospital, told how MediCinema helps him to forget about his treatment and raised £12,000 through a special auction lot for Spiderman 4 premier tickets, his all time favourite film. His story caused a bidding war between Substance and Unick Architects who shared the lot and donated a matching sum.
Representatives from The Royal Defence Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court won the award for Best Star Wars Styling and showed plans for their upcoming MediCinema installation. Cineworld won the bid for a private release date screening of Ridley Scott's much anticipated Prometheus at Twentieth Century Fox. They in kindly donated the screening to residents at Headley Court as they had been very keen in the early bidding.
This was the first major fundraiser by MediCinema CEO Stephen Moore and attendance from the wider film industry was fantastic. MediCinema would like to thank George Lucas, 20th Century Fox, Lucasfilm, TLC and the event committee for all their help. Real life characters were donated by The UK Garrison and original props and costumes by The London Film Museum. Remote control R2D2's were donated and operated by the UK R2D2 Builder’s Club.
Table enquiries are already being made for next year so sign up to the Quiz Wars mailing list at starswars@medicinema.org.uk to make sure you don't miss out.
If you'd like to know more or donate to MediCinema visit www.medicinema.org.uk or text STAR40 plus the amount to 70070 and make a difference today. (For example text "Star40 £20" to donate £20.)