Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou’s 14th annual charity dinner in Monaco raised €610,000 for the protection of Mediterranean marine life on Wednesday evening, with every donation from guests matched euro-for-euro by his foundation and the proceeds shared equally between WWF and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.
The dinner, hosted by the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation in partnership with WWF International and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation (FPA2), was held at the Stelios Foundation Conference Hall in the presence of Prince Albert II and Daudi Sumba, WWF International’s chief conservation officer. More than 60 philanthropists and environmental supporters attended, in aid of the Pelagos Sanctuary — the cross-border haven for whales and dolphins shared by Monaco, France and Italy — and the Mediterranean’s wider network of marine protected areas.
Guests heard speeches from Sir Stelios, the founder of easyJet, alongside Prince Albert II and Sumba, before a charity auction raised further funds for marine conservation.
Every euro doubled
The €610,000 total includes a euro-for-euro match from the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, which doubled the sum donated by guests over the course of the evening. The proceeds will be divided equally between WWF International and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.
“Thanks to the generosity of our philanthropist guests, and with the support of HSH Prince Albert II and Mr Daudi Sumba, tonight we have made another important step in protecting our Mediterranean Sea,” Sir Stelios said. “By matching the funds raised and directing them equally to WWF and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, we are making sure that every euro given goes twice as far.”
Sumba said the evening would help speed up conservation across the region. “Nature can recover if we help it,” he said. “Thanks to the generosity shown this evening, and the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation’s commitment to matching every donation, we can accelerate efforts to strengthen Marine Protected Areas across the Mediterranean, protect vulnerable species, and demonstrate what is possible when science, partnership and philanthropy come together.”
With this year’s total, the dinner has now raised around €4.2 million for marine conservation over its 14 editions.
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Photo credit: Philippe Fitte