The 51
^st Annual BABC Christmas Luncheon was held at the prestigious Fairmont Hotel atop San Francisco’s historic Nob Hill district. The Luncheon fundraiser is the BABC’s flagship event, and with a portion of proceeds going to the admirable Raphael House, it had all the makings of an unforgettable day. 2014 marked a landmark occasion for the BABC, with CyraCom becoming the event’s first ever Diamond sponsor, fittingly on the BABC’s 60^th birthday and Diamond anniversary celebration. There was a palpable sense of anticipation around the Fairmont as the 950 guests began to arrive for the day’s festivities, the ambience of Christmas steadily escalating as the day wore on.

As attendees strolled through the extravagant foyer, eyes fixated on the visually stunning, towering house of gingerbread, they were greeted by
Dickens characters of Christmas stories past; Father Christmas, a Bobby and Mr. Dickens himself were present, combining with the atrocious weather to provide the most authentic of British Christmas experiences.

The reception that preceded the luncheon was a jovial affair. Located inside the spacious Terrace Room, the partygoers’ insatiable appetite for a good time was accompanied by multiple pouring stations that served an assortment of California’s very finest wine. The ubiquitous Christmas spirit was a joy to behold, the sonorous tune of merry laughter filling the hall. The international business community was totally united in celebration of this most wonderful time of year.

With stomachs beginning to groan uncontrollably the party migrated to the opulent Grand Ballroom. With emcee Liam Mayclem admirably, and extremely successfully battling an unfortunate winter’s ailment to host the show, lunch was served. A sumptuous three-course meal, highlighted by irresistibly buttery mashed potatoes and delectable roast turkey that will have satisfied even the most fastidious of food critic’s pallets, preceded the BABC’s most successful auction to date. The multi-talented Mr. Mayclem showed signs of a potential career after television, enthusiastically auctioneering off a profusion of incredible experiences. Such was Mr. Mayclem’s skill; a record $72,000 was raised.

With the crowd in the palm of his hand, our host then announced the winners of the BABC’s Grand Raffle Prizes. With a plethora of remarkable prizes available, the electricity in the air was such that a day earlier, it could have potentially solved the citywide blackouts. Fortunately however, under the luminous lighting of the Grand Ballroom, a selection of fortuitous guests won a selection of prizes that would turn Father Christmas himself green with envy. We here at the BABC would love to congratulate all of the prizewinners, and we hope this helps make your Christmas all the merrier!

In true BABC fashion the festivities continued with the famous ‘Raphael House After Party’ presented by
Suddath Relocation and Sereno Group held in the Terrace Room. Patrons socialised and danced to infectious music by Conceptual Bop, dining on The Pie Shop’s scrumptious sausage rolls and enjoyed libations from Dunkirk Spirit Gin, Anchor Steam Brewery and delicious flights of whisky from Lagavulin, Oban and Talisker, ensuring that a wonderful time was had by all. We have subsequently learned that aside from a few throbbing headaches and sausage rolls cravings the next morning, the After Party was a complete success.

The BABC would like to thank everybody who made this event possible! From the Fairmont staff, to the movers, to all helpers and volunteers, sponsors, directors and of course guests who helped to cement the 51
^st Annual BABC Christmas Luncheon in the annals of time as a resounding success.