Organizers Omenaa Mensah and Rafał Brzoska, along with Corporate Connections Poland, raised:
48 000 000 PLN
making the event number one in Europe!
The doubled amount from the auction, i.e., 24 million PLN from Rafał Brzoska, is probably the largest single private donation for charity in modern Polish history.
Accounting for the foundation’s projects completed from previous editions of the TOP CHARITY Grand Charity Auction
Spectacular auction and impressive results
The third edition of the Grand Charity Auction TOP CHARITY gathered almost 500 guests. On the red carpet, in the courtyard of King John III Sobieski’s Palace in Wilanów, in addition to the initiators of the event, Omenaa Mensah and Rafał Brzoska, representatives of the largest businesses from Poland, the Czech Republic, Italy, Germany, France, Bulgaria, Croatia appeared. Ambassadors, art collectors, outstanding artists, and selected personalities from Polish show business.
During the art auction, 15 works of art and 10 attractions from the Great Emotions category were auctioned. The selection of works was overseen by the Artistic Council consisting of Iwona Büchner-Grzesiak, Rafał Kamecki, Boris Kudlička, Kama Zboralska, and Omenaa Mensah. The works that ultimately went to the auction were chosen during year-round talks, debates, and cooperation between art lovers and connoisseurs. For the first time in the history of the event, EY Poland became the independent auditor of the Grand Charity Auction TOP CHARITY 2024. The professional conduct of the auction was ensured by the gala partners: Jacek Piotrowski from the Polswiss Art Auction House and Artinfo.pl – the largest independent art market portal. Only from the auction of works of art by Polish and foreign artists, 22,630,000 PLN was obtained, which, according to unwritten tradition, Rafał Brzoska doubled from a private donation, giving a total of 45,260,000 PLN. The final result of the Auction, i.e., 45,917,000, additionally included donations from guests in the amount of 657,000 PLN.
The biggest attractions and emotions
The highest auctioned work was the sculpture Torso alato, 1985 by Igor Mitoraj, for which the buyers and involved philanthropists paid 6,800,000 PLN. The highest auctioned Great Emotion was a Week of Metamorphosis with Ewa Chodakowska at Mövenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives – a collective emotion for which guests paid 5,100,000 PLN! The auction of a unique dress from the iconic Dolce&Gabbana Alta Moda collection also enjoyed great success. The winner bid 500,000 PLN for it!
“Torso alato” by Igor Mitoraj auctioned for 6,800,000 PLN
Unforgettable Week of Transformation at Mövenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives with Ewa Chodakowska auctioned for 5,100,000 PLN
Additional accompanying events
This year, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Omenaa Foundation, the Grand Charity Auction TOP CHARITY was accompanied by additional events. The Palace in Wilanów turned into a center for exchanging experiences, thoughts, and inspirations for the future. At the ChangeMakers 2024 Business Conference, the most important challenges of national security in the digital era, the cooperation of business and local governments in building geopolitical stability, the role of leaders in changing corporate culture, as well as the American and Polish model of philanthropy were discussed. Among the panelists were, among others, Secretary of State, Head of BBN, Jacek Siewiera, U.S. Ambassador to Poland Mark Brzezinski, and leading business representatives from Poland and the USA. A meeting with Phyllis Newhouse, founder and CEO of ShoulderUp Technology Acquisition Corp, Xtreme Solutions, Inc., and the non-profit organization ShoulderUp, was also very popular. Her inspiring speech directed at Polish entrepreneurs emphasized the importance of using their resources and relationships to make the world a better place.
Lazy Sunday
The biggest philanthropy celebration in Poland ended with the Lazy Sunday picnic, during which guests could see a Fiat 126p Bis, the cult Maluch – a gift from Rafał Sonik. The car, decorated by one of the most sought-after contemporary street art artists, Mariusz Waras, will also be auctioned. The money from this collection will be donated to support children and young people affected by road accidents and provide them with access to therapy and recovery. That afternoon, many attractions were prepared, in which children from an orphanage, children of donors, and foundation employees participated. Young people learned philanthropy through play and joint initiatives.
The organizers of the gala, Omenaa Mensah and Rafał Brzoska, emphasize that the entire business community creates an increasingly richer image of philanthropy in Poland and co-creates a wonderful event. – Every guest of the gala contributes to significant social changes, not only revitalizing the economy, creating jobs but also responsibly sharing their wealth – sums up Omenaa Mensah, president of the Omenaa Foundation.
Organizers, Patrons and Partners
The event was organized by: Omenaa Foundation, OmenaArt Foundation, Rafał Brzoska Foundation, Corporate Connections, and the Museum of King John III’s Palace in Wilanów. Media patrons of the auction included: AD, Forbes, Artinfo.pl, Elle Decoration, and strategic and artistic patronage – Polswiss Art Auction House and EY Poland. Event partners: BMW, Bang& Olufsen, Royal Watch, Velaa Private Island Maldives, Moët Hennessy, Dolce&Gabbana Alta Moda, Sunreef Yachts Eco, Bebio.pl, Santander Foundation, Siepomaga.pl, InPost, Mövenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives, Go Elite, LuginsLand of Art, Antonius Caviar, Heban Gallery.
