Only 2 1/2 weeks to go for the festival...so close by now and we are so on track with everything indeed! the very long hours over the last 6 months have really helped to have things organized and not to end up in panic mode.

The weather has been wonderful, no hurricanes at all coming through and all is looking very good to have perfect weather at the festival too. From next week onwards our *office* shall move to Ft Lauderdale, and we shall not leave till the festival is done and over and we all can look back on a tremendous and happy time for all our visitors and guests to the Parks.

We have learned many lessons the last 6 months, have met dozens of people, most of which have now become great pals of us and the festival (I want to mention here Mike Harlan in particular from the Parks) and Nicki Grossman (Convention Center and Tourism). Ofcourse we could add many more names to this list and one day I shall, but today my chat is about something entirely different:

Charities,

When we came to Florida and we did not know too much about American charities, I contacted the SOS Childrens Villages Florida to see if they would like to partner with us......they did. The reason I choose SOS Childrens Villages was because I have been very much involved over the years with many SOS Children Villages all over the world, in Bandung, the Seychelles, Austria, South Africa and love their work very much.

Soon, for perfectly good reasons, I decided to add another SOS Children Village, namely the SOS Children Villages USA in Washington DC. At the same time we applied for 501-C(3) status ourselves, sothat in the future we can be more flexible to whom and what we want to give the money the Festival gets with the gate sales and Auction. (Auction coming online in 7 days time: for the SOS Children Villages Washington DC).

The problem I am getting is that now I am longer in the USA, I start to learn more and more about all the people and organizations that need help...and there are so many!!! Personally I already donate much money to Greenpeace, Earthwatch, pay school fees for three kids in three countries and donate to many other causes, because that is what I want to do and feel I should.

The beauty of the Australian Festival is, becoming a 501-C(3) organization, we can then give money to every and all organization we wholeheartedly believe in and who extends their love and support also to us. Giving out to an organization that becomes your friend and makes you feel part of their *family* is the most beautiful experience you can have.

Lately I have been very much drawn to the American Indians...in Australia this was the same with the Indigenous people: I love and respect them tremendously and in fact one of our main artists, David Hudson, is a very proud Aboriginal, and we are very honored that he is coming to the festival, and be there with us the whole three days. His music, art and story telling is out of this world. I hope you shall come to the festival and see for yourself. Music to never ever forget, a man to never ever forget either with a culture of 40.000 years in his blood.

The American Indians are so very similar to the Aborigines: they also were thousands and thousand of years before the *white* settlers took over in their own country and *land* and they have in many ways lost so much of their own world.

Nowadays, there are many ways in restoring their heritage and helping those proud and beautiful people and one way is to donate time and money and providing education and security to the children of those tribes.

I therefore am adding to this years *giving part of the money* from the general sales at the Festival from 2-4 November, the St. Josephs Indian School in Chamberlain, South Dakota, and want to open our Australian connection, heart and love, to the Indian Sioux (Lakota) children of this wonderful school, in the poorest county of the USA (Buffalo County, home of the Crow Creek Reservation)

I hope you all shall support me in this decision and know that part of the money you give to our incredible and exciting Australian Festival, a three days cultural and fun showcase of the best we have to offer, shall go to very good causes, helping children in great need, at the SOS Children's Villages and to a place far away, South Dakota, the Sioux Indian children....

Many blessings from a very dedicated Chair and CEO, with love to you all,

Brigitte