Thanksgiving Fund Raises $20,000 for Research

The members of the Country Women’s Association of Victoria (CWA) through their annual Thanksgiving Fund raised $20,000 for medical bionics research.

To recognise this wonderful effort and generous support the Bionic Ear Institute’s Director, Rob Shepherd, presented the Country’s Women’s Association of Victoria’s President, Helen Christie, with a “Certification of Appreciation” at a recent function.

Major Partner Woodards Real Estate Recognised for their Support

Woodards CEO, John Piccolo, and Operations Manager, Cathy Romagnano were recently presented with a “Certification of Appreciation” by the Bionic Ear Institute Director, Rob Shepherd, in recognition of their generous support and fundraising efforts over the past three years.

Woodards will continue to provide marketing support and run annual fundraisers which contribute to our medical bionics research programs. The Bionic Ear Institute is extremely grateful to Woodards management and staff for their enthusiastic support.

"Mao’s Last Dinner” a Winner!

To celebrate its Australian film release in September, “Mao’s Last Dancer” gala premiere events were held in four major Australian cities to raise funds in support of The Bionic Ear Institute and The Australia Ballet. This acclaimed film is based on the best-selling book by Li Cunxin.

We are delighted to advise that the Bionic Ear Institute received $173,578, being the Institute’s share of the proceeds from the premiere events. This very generous funding will contribute towards medical bionics research, including the development of Hi-fidelity Bionic Ears. This fundraising opportunity was generated by our Board member, Li Cunxin, whose daughter Sophie has bilaterial cochlear implants.

Cythnia’s Challenge

Congratulations to Cynthia McLarty on achieving her Melbourne Marathon Challenges.
We are delighted to announce that during the months leading up to the Marathon Cynthia raised $1,466 for the Institute’s research to improve the bionic ear. Cynthia’s 11 year old son, Sam, is a cochlear implant recipient.

Cynthia completed the Melbourne Marathon on the 11th October and was delighted with her result, running in 3 hours 56 minutes, 40 minutes quicker than her first effort last year. We wish to thank all Cynthia’s family and friends, and local businesses, who gave encouragement and supported the fundraiser.

New film tie-in edition of “Mao’s Last Dancer” now available

Soft cover version only - $35.00 including postage

Li Cunxin’s journey from bitter poverty to international stardom is a dream come true. The telling of his life story has taken him to places he never could have imagined . Since its release in 2003, Li Cunxin’s Mao's Last Dancer has sold over 400 000 copies and regularly featured on bestseller lists. Now, some six years after its original publication, Li's inspiring story of courage and determination has been made into a major feature film. For this edition, Li gives us three powerful new chapters as he shares his experiences in making the movie, his feelings for an utterly changed China and the ongoing stories of his beloved families in Melbourne and Qingdao.

Li’s eldest daughter, Sophie, is a bionic ear recipient and Li is a board director at the Bionic Ear Institute.

To purchase this new edition, personally signed by Li Cunxin, please telephone the Bionic Ear Institute on
03 9667 7500. All proceeds from this book contribute to our medical bionics research.

Woodards' fundraiser

Congratulations to our major partner, Woodards, on raising $15,654 at a pre-release movie screening of Mao’s Last Dancer. This event was held on Tuesday 29 September with 500 of Woodards’ clients, staff and friends attending. The movie was followed by a raffle and auction supported by an amazing array of sponsors. Thank you to Woodards for their ongoing support and generosity.

BEI Golf Day

The second ever Bionic Ear Institute Golf Day was held on Tuesday October 21 st at Kingston Heath Golf Course. A fabulous time was had by all and a grand total of $13,000 was raised to support the Institute. [more]