Over 13 million tenge raised from Astana's VI Charity Ball will go to support orphanages

This is the second year that Bolashak Association's charity fund supports the ball. The record 12.41 million tenge were raised through ticket sales and art auction, the better part of which, 11.2 million tenge, was donated to SOS Children's Village Astana.

The ball opened with welcoming speeches of the chairman of the Bolashak Association and First Deputy Chairman of Nur Otan party, Bauyrzhan Baibek and general director of the Altyn Kyran International Charitable Foundation, Islambek Salzhanov.

Paintings of Kazakh artists Leyla Mahat, Uliya Moldagaliva, Nelly Bube, orphans and a book of the famous Kazakh writer, Bahyt Kairbekov were presented at a charity auction.

The event was attended by children from Children's Village Astana, they thanked those present for their support and congratulated on the upcoming holidays and presented the guests with New Year songs.

For the first time, the ball was opened by debutants, who for several weeks had been rehearsing polonaise, Irish ceili, Viennese, Spanish and Scottish waltzes, ragtime. The dances were choreographed by Daniar Davletaliev, Rustem Takeo and Russian director Magomed Cheger .

The Bolashak Charitable Foundation cooperates with child care centers across the country. Under the Foundation's constant patronage is Akkol orphanage, SOS Children's Village Astana, war veterans in Akmola region, the Nur orphanage in Almaty region. More than 65 million tenge have been raised over the past two years. This year, the Foundation involved Olympic champion Alexander Vinokourov in its charitable activities. The money paid at a charity auction for the champion's bike went to cover costly surgeries of seven children from needy famililies.