Trade center bash raises 8,100 lats

RIGA - A New Year's Eve charity auction at an Ernesto Preatoni
enterprise brought in money for five of Latvia's children's
orphanages and care centers. At the party for which guests paid 120
lats, Preatoni auctioned off one-week stays in southern Europe and
Egypt at his villas and on his boat, taking in 8,100 lats ($14,000)
for charity.

The amount was divided equally among envelopes given to
representatives of five children's homes on Jan. 6. These
organizations are: the social care and rehabilitation center
"Ezerkrasti"; the social care center "Vegi"in the Talsi region; the
orphanage "Likumi"in Jekabpils region; the orphanage social center
"Kalkuni"in the Daugavpils region ; the orphanage "Liepaja"in Liepaja
and the nursing home "Abeles"in the Saldus region.

The social care and rehabilitation center "Ezerkrasti"invited
Preatoni to their fifth anniversary party in February.

The function was the first gesture by the Ernesto Preatoni Charity
Foundation established in November 1999.

The next charity auction could be in September, Preatoni hinted, at a
time when there are no other big celebrations, because during the
December holidays many of the well-to-do are focusing on other
activities.

Orphanages and nursing homes are the foundation's priority, Preatoni said.