Starship Foundation aims to enable every child in New Zealand access to world leading healthcare and experiences.

Mainfreight presents: An Evening with Dr Ben Carson

Nurturing minds. Creating futures.

Purchase your tickets now to join Starship Foundation and Duffy Books in Homes for a charity dinner and auction with pioneering US paediatric neurosurgeon and philanthropist, Ben Carson.

Dr. Carson came to prominence through his lifesaving surgery to separate twins joined at the back of the head.  He is coming to New Zealand to help Starship and Duffy Books in Homes with their mission to support brain health in Kiwi kids.

Dr. Carson's early life gave no indication of his later success.  Brought up by his single, illiterate mother in a poor suburb of Detroit, he was a below average student until his mother turned off the television and made reading the number one priority in her children's lives.  He personally has been responsible for bringing books back into American schools that have lost their libraries due to budget cuts.

In 2009, Cuba Gooding Jr. starred in Gifted Hands - The Ben Carson Story.  Based on the book of the same name, the story follows Dr. Carson's incredible journey from poverty to Head of Paediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Funds raised on the evening will go towards the major rebuild of Starship's Level 6 Neurological and Medical Specialty Wards, where conditions including neurological disorders, brain tumours, metabolic and genetic disorders, head trauma and suspected child abuse injuries, respiratory illnesses and infectious diseases are treated.

Funds will also be shared with Duffy Books in Homes which provides almost 100,000 children with a minimum of five free books of their choice every year.

Tuesday 6th March, 2012, 6.15pm

Venue: The New Zealand Room, SKYCITY Convention Centre, 88 Federal St, Auckland

Tickets: $2500 + GST for a table of 10. $250 + GST for an individual seat.

Part of the funds raised on the evening will go towards the major rebuild of Starship's Level Six Neuroservices and Medical Specialty Wards which will help improve the emotional, social and survival outcomes for critically ill and long-term patients on these wards. Other funds will go towards Duffy Books in Homes which helps put books into low-decile schools in need of help.

Purchase tickets now