This year's HOPE Gala at the Dresden Schauspielhaus once again showed how much commitment and warmth of heart there is in Saxony. On Saturday evening, a total of 228,870 euros was raised for the HOPE Cape Town project - a sum that, thanks to a special gesture, went well beyond the magic threshold of 200,000 euros.
Benjamin Bieneck: From presenter to major donation
SAT.1 presenter Benjamin Bieneck, who charmingly hosted the evening together with colleague Karen Heinrichs, surprised the audience with an impressive fundraising campaign. Together with his family, he spontaneously decided to make a donation of 50,000 euros. He had already caused a stir last year with 20,000 euros. The fact that he contributed more than twice as much this time made him the biggest single donor of the evening.
Hope for Cape Town's children
The money from Dresden will go towards healthcare, education and support for children and young people in the townships around Cape Town. "I am simply happy and very, very grateful," said initiator Viola Klein, CEO of the HOPE Cape Town Foundation. "With the donations, we can take our HOPE Cape Town project in South Africa a big step forward and will invest primarily in educational projects and healthcare."
If all 17 HOPE galas to date are added together, over 2.9 million euros have now been donated to South Africa.
Artists with heart: from Cassandra Steen to Dagmar Frederic
The stage program ranged from soul to classical music to artistry. Cassandra Steen impressed with her warm voice, while Sydney Youngblood created a great atmosphere with hits from the 80s. Stefanie Hertel, husband Lanny Lanner and daughter Johanna Mross (as the band More Than Words) delighted the audience with their harmonious vocals. The performance of Dagmar Frederic, who at 80 years of age stepped in at short notice and moved the audience to a standing ovation with her voice, was particularly moving.
HOPE Award to Reiner Meutsch
Another highlight: the presentation of the 15th HOPE Award. It went to Reiner Meutsch, founder of the FLY & HELP foundation. The laudatory speech was held by singer and presenter Stefanie Hertel. The award honors people who are particularly committed to Africa - in line with previous award winners such as Waris Dirie, Rita Süßmuth and Bob Geldof.
Looking ahead
The guests then celebrated exuberantly at the after-show party in the Schauspielhaus. And the date for the next HOPE gala has already been set: October 10, 2026. The gala impressively demonstrates how much hope and concrete help can be brought to South Africa from Dresden - and that individual gestures, such as the large donation from Benjamin Bieneck, can shape an entire event.
In order to be able to continue the important work of HOPE Cape Town in the future, Viola Klein and Stefan Hippler initiated a strategy process to make the project more financially independent by 2030.
