What a memorable evening!
Our Trish MS Fire and Ice Ball held at Hilton Sydney on 29th August 2026 brought together a Ballroom filled with kindness, hope, love, warmth and generosity – all in support of important MS Research Projects.
To everyone who attended, donated, sponsored, volunteered, shared our mission, our immense gratitude. Your highly valued support makes a meaningful difference, contributing to high-quality Translational MS Research Projects.
Led with the warmth, joy and magic of our incomparable Celebrity MC Channel 7’s Johanna Griggs AM, guests, many of whom have supported the Trish Foundation for the past 26 years, ‘dug deep’ and very generously contributed to high-calibre Translational MS Research Projects.
Johanna welcomed special guests Ken Rosewall AM MBE, Hon Barry O’Farrell AO and Rosemary, Hon John Alexander OAM and his daughter Georgia, eminent MS scientists, generous Corporate VIP Sponsors and valued Trish supporters, all of whom contributed to the vital funds raised.
A highlight of the evening was the awarding of the 2026 Trish MS Research Award to arguably, THE most important members of the Trish Foundation’s team of volunteers, our honorary Scientific Research Committee, Professor John Pollard AO (Chair), Professor Michael Barnett, Professor Helmut Butzkueven, Professor Graeme Stewart AM, Dr Jennifer Massey and A/Prof Stephen Reddel. Unfortunately, Professor Stewart and Dr Massey were unable to attend our Ball. The standout moment of the evening, the Awards were presented by Trish’s nephews and nieces.
There were many other highlights of the evening. The Ball opened with a welcome video from the Foundation’s Patron, Dr Brendan Nelson AO, currently based in the UK. Guests were then captivated by a brilliant Video Presentation very generously produced pro bono by Producible, that stirred great emotion throughout the Ballroom.
The unparalleled Johanna Griggs interviewed Professor Helmut Buzkueven, a member of the Foundation’s honorary Scientific Research Committee, who gave great hope for people living with MS and as well, Johanna interviewed the inspirational Stephen Padadopoulos who is living with MS and shared his experiences with humour and raw honesty.
Kambala’s Dulcie Holland Orchestra delighted guests during pre-dinner drinks, following which Kambala’s Pani Karamanos and Logan Birchall signalled the formal program by trumpeting guests into the Ballroom.
Two masterful musical performances brought the evening to life. Acclaimed soprano Toni Powell, who has entertained guests at our Balls since 2009 when she received a standing ovation, performed ‘Ring of Fire’ with Pani Karamanos and Logan Birchall on vocals and trumpets, highlighting the night’s theme of ‘Fire’. The ‘Ice’ component of the evening was showcased with Toni’s showstopper ‘Let It Go’. Rising stars singer/songwriter Ava Wilson, accompanied by Leo Papa on keyboard, performed a powerful rendition of ‘Set Fire to the Rain’, continuing the Fire and Ice theme.
Leon Axford, Axford Auctions, kindly stepped in to expertly perform the important role of honorary Auctioneer, exceeding expectations and extracting every last dollar from guests. Leon is a finalist in the prestigious Australasian Auctioneering Championships conducted by the Real Estate Institute of Australia and Real Estate Institute of New Zealand.
Award-winning Band, Jellybean Jam had the Ballroom buzzing with energy and joy. Non-stop medleys ensured non-stop dancing, complete with tongue in cheek interpretations of the most memorable party tunes.
The Foundation’s Trish MS Fire and Ice Ball was an amazing evening of joyful fun, informative interviews and emotion.
Trish’s mum Carol Langsford, Chair of the Trish Foundation, expressed her heartfelt gratitude to not only everyone who supported the Ball but also everyone who has supported the Foundation for the past 26 years.
“Our team of volunteers is incredibly blessed to have received significant support from countless people, businesses, and organisations in so many meaningful ways since inception. We are truly thankful to each of them.”
“Our Trish MS Fire and Ice Ball was an evening filled with generosity, kindness, love and magnificent spirit. We could never thank everyone enough for helping us make a difference. Every contribution towards our Translational MS Research Projects, big or small, has meant more to us than you know.”
“We consider it a great honour to raise funds for MS research and we are really blessed to receive such outstanding, generous support since inception. The extraordinary generosity of Philanthropic Trusts and Foundations, our Major Corporate Sponsors, every single person, Company and organisation is highly valued and immensely appreciated, as are ‘Team Trish’ – all our hard-working volunteers, Ball Committee volunteers, honorary Board members and of course, our distinguished, eminent honorary Scientific Research Committee.”
“As we continue our mission and move forward with our future direction, we deeply appreciate the unwavering support of our remarkable Trish community.”
