7500 dollars for one jersey. Lewandowski’s autograph. A scarf from the First Lady. A room full of people who proved that generosity knows no bounds.
This year’s Valentine’s Ball of the Children’s Smile Foundation made history. The evening of February 7th at the elegant Terrace On The Park hall in Queens brought in a record income — almost 52,000 dollars for sick and needy children. No one expected such an amount.
The Auction That Electrified the Room
The heart of the auction beat fastest when an FC Barcelona jersey with Robert Lewandowski’s autograph came to the stage. The bidding competition ended at an astronomical sum of 7500 dollars — an absolute record in the foundation’s 27-year history. Consul General Mateusz Sakowicz revealed the backstory: the consulate purchased the jersey, and his wife Bogna Bernaciak-Sakowicz personally handed it to Lewandowski for signing on November 10th, when the footballer visited New York for just seven hours to light up the Empire State Building in white and red colors.
Emotions were also fueled by a linen scarf “Story 48.4” from Lilou — a gift from First Lady Marta Nawrocka — auctioned for 2000 dollars. A gold necklace from Art-Tec Jewelry Designs went for 1000 dollars, boxing gloves with Adam Kownacki’s autograph for 600, and a jersey of “Polish Forrest Gump” Tomasz Sobania — a runner who ran across the entire USA in 139 days — for 500. The total income from the auction: 11,600 dollars.
The Check That Changed the Evening
The culminating moment was the address by The New York Building Managers’ Association — the oldest American association of building managers (est. 1917), honored with the title of guest of honor. President Marat Olfir and former president Wojciech Siedlik presented the foundation with a check for 15,000 dollars collected during the association’s annual charity gala. The raffle added 7600 dollars, the Commemorative Book — 9300, and the rest was made up of tickets and individual donations.
The People Who Create This Story
About 200 guests filled the hall — diplomats, leaders of Polish-American organizations, families of beneficiaries. Particularly moving was the speech by Marta Stankiewicz, mother of little Amelia Smiertelny, who spoke about her daughter’s health struggles.
The foundation’s chaplain, Father Grzegorz Markulak, aptly summarized the atmosphere: although there was a bitter frost outside, the hearts in the hall were “incredibly warm.”
The main sponsor of the ball was the Polish-Slavic Federal Credit Union (5000 dollars), celebrating its 50th anniversary. Among the donors were Dr. Arthur Volker, Dorota and Piotr Praszkowicz, Opulence Glamour Skin Clinic, e-Script 360 Pharmacy, Amber Steak House, and many anonymous benefactors.
Meaning in Numbers
52,000 dollars will go to the children who need them most. And the Valentine’s hearts of the ball’s participants proved to be bigger than ever.
