Last night myself and another friend from Microsoft, Michelle, volunteered to help with the Stillbirth Ball. This was held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney. When we arrived the ballroom looked absolutely amazing, with a live band and Jay Laga'aia on stage to MC the night.

We volunteered without really knowing what to expect or what we would be required to do, but when we arrived at the event, we knew that it was going to be a fun and enjoyable night. Michelle and i were 'Stillbirth Stars' for the evening - responsible for driving raffle ticket sales, helping out with the live auction and selling 'Stella' Bears. The Stella Bears were adorable, and guests had the option of purchasing one to take home or give as a gift, or donating them to hospitals around Australia. All Stella Bears that were donated will be given to grieving families who have lost a baby to ensure they have something to take home from the hospital.

The guests had a great time, and happily loosened the load in their wallets to support the foundation in their research into the cause of  Stillbirth. Many of the guests had been through the unfortunate event of loosing a baby, and so whilst there were a few tears, everyone knew that it was a time to celebrate and work together to reach the target donation amount.

It really was a fantastic evening and great event to be apart of. We raised $105,000 on the night, which meant that the foundation had met the half million dollar mark since its conception in 2005.

What was also interesting was the latest Stillbirth Newsletter which had an article on how the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donated US$1Million towards research into Stillbirth and premature deaths. So for Michelle and i, it was a nice feeling to see that Microsoft had supported the event and foundation as well.