“There is no better place to have a good time, to make amazing friends, to have memories that will last you forever. And once you come, you don’t want to leave. It is also a place where you can give a lot of money, and you can make a big difference, and I promise you, you’ll be richer next year… So I expect you all to be generous this evening, I want you all to forget that there is anything else happening other than Round Hill, Hanover, and the Sugar Cane Ball, in Jamaica, land we love,” Josef Forstmayr, Round Hill Hotel & Villas managing director.

The joy of giving continues to fuel the success of the annual Sugar Cane Ball.

Each year, shareholders — their families and friends — and bon vivants from around the world step onto the iconic black and white tiles of the cashmere-chic Round Hill Hotel & Villas foyer, past the Pineapple Room and into the Tai Flora Luxe-designed dining area, pausing only for the flashing lights of the SO2 lens.

Referenced as one of the must-attend events on the winter social register, the ball raises funds for Hanover Charities, an organisation founded in 1957 by then Custos of Hanover Willy Delisser, and his wife Ida.

Fast-forward 67 years and Hanover Charities has positioned itself as one of Western Jamaica’s leading charitable organisations. Chairing the event this year was philanthropist Manuela Goren, under the theme Jamaica, Land We Love.

“I want to thank everyone for coming tonight. I hope you will be very, very generous. A little over 20 years ago, my family and I took sort of a different turn and decided to come to Jamaica for the first time. In the space of a week, we had bought a house at the Tryall Club… our lives were forever changed. Because we love Jamaican people so much, and we grew to really love Jamaica. We’re still here after 20 years, and I’m very honoured to be your chairperson tonight… this is definitely a land we love. It’s our home away from home,” said Goren.

Cin-cin!

Guests, many of them with similar stories, nodded in unison. The over 300 patrons in attendance at this year’s ball, included iconic American fashion designer Ralph Lauren, his wife Ricky, and daughter Dylan; ambassadors, international financiers, investors, and artists; and notables from The Rock. The evening’s entertainment featured the Chokey Band and Jamaica’s incomparable songbird Tessanne Chin.

The best was yet to come! Renowned New York auctioneer Rachael White Young of Christie’s auction house took centre stage and, in a record 25-minute display of thrilling showmanship, had convinced members of the audience to fork out US$170,000 for Hanover Charities. Up for grabs; were a European sojourn donated by Inspirato for Good; a Polaris Solar Red Ranger 500; an exclusive tour of Tiffany & Co – the Landmark on 5th Avenue, New York; and a luxurious Jamaican escape to Harmony Hill, a stunning private villa nestled within the prestigious Tryall Club. And while several paddles were raised for the trip to Harmony Hill, eventually going to former Tryall homeowners Paula and Mark Kovinsky for a modest US$30,000, it was the black, green, and gold Puma track shoes worn and autographed by Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt that elicited the most intense exchange.

“Do I hear $3,000?” asked White Young as she opened the bidding. Paddles raised hurriedly, several in fact, but it was a cool and steady Greg Belinfanti, New York-based businessman, who secured the coveted item at a cost of US$10,000.

It was now time to sponsor the 2024 Container of Love, a gift, shared White Young, that would change the lives of thousands of families, children, and the elderly. The sponsorship includes the shipping of a four-foot container to Jamaica. Once unloaded, the container is transformed into a permanent structure on school property, potentially becoming a classroom, library, or guidance centre.

In between dinner, drinks, and entertainment, silent bidders frequently checked on items they had their hearts set on, upping their bids in the hopes of securing, among others, a vintage Hermès scarf, luxury stay at a Sandals Resort, afternoon tea with British High Commissioner Judith Slater; Vanessa Noel cashmere scarf, and six bottles of Laurent-Perrier Brut.

With upwards of US$170,000 raised during the live auction, and calculations still underway for the total earned from the silent auction, guests hit the dance floor to celebrate another successful ball.

Photos: Garfield Robinson & Aceion Cunningham