Posh Gig Harbor Affair Supports Third World Farmers

Annual Fundraiser Tied to Britain’s Royal Ascot Horse Race

Gig Harbor, Wash. – “Any excuse for a party, right?” jokes Gig Harbor resident Kerryn Battye as she makes final preparations for Royal Ascot Northwest Style, an annual fundraiser that has become one of Gig Harbor's most sought after ticketed events. 

The Australian native is the North American Ambassador for Haller, an environmental organization. Each June, she hosts this party to raise awareness and money to facilitate teaching remote communities of Kenya how to become self sufficient by creating their own water supply. The event is timed to coincide with the Royal Ascot Horse Race week, which is Britain’s answer to the Kentucky Derby, and a favorite of British High Society.

 This June 19 will mark the second time Battye has planned and hosted the elegant affair. Each year about 60 women gather under an elegant white canopy for an authentic high tea of British delicacies and libations in a gorgeous setting. Wearing colorful hats, the attendees cheer on their favorite horses, and bid during a silent auction. All monies raised support Haller’s aid work.

Haller is committed to long-term engagement with communities in Kenya. The organization’s work is based on the techniques of the award-winning environmentalist, Dr. Rene Haller, a UNEP Global Laureate renowned for his restoration of cement quarries in Kenya. The aid organization uses a similar model of environmental regeneration to bring economic security to poor farmers living on inhospitable lands. More information can be found at www.haller.org.uk.

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