DEF London: Diamonds in the Sky – SOLD OUT!

Posted on October 25, 2010

First International Benefit for African Empowerment Through Education Cause Met With Overwhelming Support from the Diamond Community

LONDON, U.K. The Diamond Empowerment Fund (D.E.F.) has announced that it has received overwhelming response to its first planned international fundraising benefit event in support of its mission to support programmes that empower African youth from diamond producing nations through access to higher education. The DEF London Diamonds in the Sky event will see the public and private sectors combine spearheaded by luminaries from the diamond trade as well as supporters and beneficiaries of the D.E.F in attendance.

The event, co-chaired by Varda Shine, CEO of Diamond Trading Company, Anna Martin, MD of Standard Chartered Bank, and Justin Etzin, Owner of Altitude London and Seychelles Capital reached full capacity only one day after invitations for its planned November 8th gala were released. Planned to be held at the magnificent Altitude 360′s 29th Floor of the Millbank Centre overlooking the London skyline, the “DEF London: Diamonds in the Sky” has been moved to a new location, the elegant Banqueting House, when the demand for tickets to the charity dinner event grew beyond Altitude 360′s capacity due to the overwhelming response for attendance from the international diamond community.

Nicky Oppenheimer, Chairman of De Beers, and Peter Sands, Group Chief Executive Standard Chartered, are being honoured at the event for their business leadership, strong commitment to corporate social responsibility, and their numerous commitments specifically towards health and educational empowerment for the benefit of Africa. Honourary Chair Russell Simmons (co-founder of the D.E.F), Governing Board Co-President Dr Benjamin F Chavis, the D.E.F.’s Africa’s Angel Ambassadors Nicola Breytenbach and Flaviana Matata, as well as a plethora of VIPs and celebrities will all unite for one night to support the D.E.F’s mission to raise money to support education initiatives where diamonds are a natural resource.

Having completed the education programmes at D.E.F.’s beneficiary schools, African Leadership Academy alumni student Marie Shabya, now in University in England, and CIDA City Campus alumni student Molefi Lekaota and current student Nombuelelo Malaza, will speak on the night about the life changing work the D.E.F supports and how they have directly benefitted from the mission cause.

Support for the evening has been provided by the Diamond Trading Company, Standard Chartered Bank and the diamond industry, with additional support from airline partner American Airlines and design partner Project Group!

About the Diamond Empowerment Fund® (D.E.F.) Founded and based in the United States since 2007, the non-profit Diamond Empowerment Fund’s mission is to raise monies to go towards supporting education initiatives that will change the lives of African communities based around diamond mines alongside education for Africa. Sixty percent of the world’s diamonds come from Sub-Saharan Africa. In a land rich in diamonds, D.E.F.’s goal is to help Africa’s most precious diamonds – its youth – have greater educational opportunities that lead to personal and economic empowerment.

For further information please contact Gabby Wickham gabby.wickham@quintessentially.com or call (44) 020 7758 3369