November 29, 2012
WAtoday.com.au entertainment and lifestyle reporter
More photos at WAtoday.
Channel Nine's Excess Baggage fitness
coach Christian Marchegiani flew in on a bumpy flight on Wednesday to
join the crème de la crème of Perth fine dining as they raised almost
$35,000 for a Cambodian charity.
Click for more photos
Dine for Life, Perth
Natasha Di Ciano, Lisa Needham and Andjelka Matic. Photo: Matthew Tompsett
They're really in the trenches with this work; they're doing raids on brothels, catching criminals, catching murderers.
There were even more stars in the kitchen than on the guest
list; diners feasted on food by chefs from Rockpool, Bistro Guillaume,
Nobu, Beluga, Amuse, Mosmans, 1907, Lamont's, Jackson's, The Trustee and
more.
The recipient of this year's fundraiser was SISHA (South East
Asia Investigations into Social and Humanitarian Activities), a charity
that works to stop human trafficking and sexual exploitation in
Cambodia.
"That's pretty special. It's a beautiful thing.
"The fact that we have the ability to help is just cause enough.
The fitness coach said he was drawn to the charity after visiting Cambodia and seeing the work they do.
"They're really in the trenches with this work; they're doing raids on brothels, catching criminals, catching murderers," he said.
"It's not a charity where the directors drive around in Mercedes and fly first class; you know exactly where the money's going."
The charity's work in protecting children hits close to home for Marchegiani, who struggled through years of bullying until his teenage years.
"You carry a lot of anger because for years you were picked on and abused," he said.
"I got involved in some gangs. We'd be out on the street getting into fights and causing trouble – violence, assaults, vandalism, damaging property, all that kind of stuff," he said.
"We ended up in court after numerous warnings and the judge said to me 'You either go to jail, join the army or go to the boxing gym', which was run by the police. They saw I had a lot of anger to get rid of and thought the boxing would do me good. I started training and losing weight and feeling better about myself. After that I went to university and travelled the world."
If there's one thing the world traveller believes people should do, it's broaden their horizons - and minds - by visiting countries less affluent than Australia.
"People should travel more and see the atrocities that are happening in these countries," he said.
"People are ignorant when it comes to that. We're lucky to be born in a country like Australia. We could all be refugees.
"In 20 or 30 years we'll see Cambodia flourish. See universities there and great things happening and say, 'we were there'."
Wednesday night's dinner was Dine for Life's fourth event, after raising more than $50,000 for People Who Care, the Samaritans Crisis Line and the Global Good Foundation in previous years.
"The fact that we have the ability to help is just cause enough.
The fitness coach said he was drawn to the charity after visiting Cambodia and seeing the work they do.
"They're really in the trenches with this work; they're doing raids on brothels, catching criminals, catching murderers," he said.
"It's not a charity where the directors drive around in Mercedes and fly first class; you know exactly where the money's going."
The charity's work in protecting children hits close to home for Marchegiani, who struggled through years of bullying until his teenage years.
"You carry a lot of anger because for years you were picked on and abused," he said.
"I got involved in some gangs. We'd be out on the street getting into fights and causing trouble – violence, assaults, vandalism, damaging property, all that kind of stuff," he said.
"We ended up in court after numerous warnings and the judge said to me 'You either go to jail, join the army or go to the boxing gym', which was run by the police. They saw I had a lot of anger to get rid of and thought the boxing would do me good. I started training and losing weight and feeling better about myself. After that I went to university and travelled the world."
If there's one thing the world traveller believes people should do, it's broaden their horizons - and minds - by visiting countries less affluent than Australia.
"People should travel more and see the atrocities that are happening in these countries," he said.
"People are ignorant when it comes to that. We're lucky to be born in a country like Australia. We could all be refugees.
"In 20 or 30 years we'll see Cambodia flourish. See universities there and great things happening and say, 'we were there'."
Wednesday night's dinner was Dine for Life's fourth event, after raising more than $50,000 for People Who Care, the Samaritans Crisis Line and the Global Good Foundation in previous years.
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