Maserati raises over R18.3-million for African charities

Organiser Julie Brangstrup brought together the 70 drivers who covered 1,717km over the course of the four days in a total of 35 bright red supercars taking turns behind the wheel during a European Tour that touched all the Fashion and Lifestyle Capital Cities.

Among the celebrities at the wheel of the Maserati Ghiblis saw the likes of Saturdays singer Mollie King, former angel of Victoria's Secret, Selita Ebanks; the glamorous model and talented Spanish TV presenter, Nieves Álvarez; leading British model Jodie Kidd, who has achieved international success combining her love of fashion and driving,; and one of the most popular YouTubers in the United Kingdom, Patricia Bright. Taking turns at the wheel of a Maserati Quattroporte, were several editors and influencers of Buro 24/7, the most important media and lifestyle platform in Eastern Europe, a major force in the realm of fashion and lifestyle.

The Cash & Rocket Tour convoy collected money for three extremely worthwhile African non-profit organisations: Sumbandila in South Africa, Shine On Sierra Leone and OrphanAid Africa in Ghana. At the charity auction, held in conjunction with the gala dinner which kicked off the event with elegant panache, they managed to raise more than R10-million for benevolent purposes. The tour wound up with the successful achievement of its ambitious goal by raising more than one million pounds (more than R18.3-million).

The Cash & Rocket Tour began in London with a gala evening on Thursday, 14 May.

The following morning, with a spectacular parade, the 70 drivers promoted the Tour across London's most iconic spots: from the London Eye to Regents Street, going through Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, Pall Mall and Oxford Street.

The tour then headed to Paris, arriving in Place Vendôme, which welcomed the breath-taking car display.

On Sunday, 17 May this extraordinary motorcade was back on the road, this time headed in the direction of Lyon where, after some friendly tennis matches, the women spearheading this event went to the Chateau de Pizay, a beautiful Renaissance fortress, which served as the setting for a formal evening, featuring either "total black" or "total white" looks.

On Monday, 18 May, the charity tour reached Italy, stopping in the Lombard capital of Milan where the participants were treated to an elegant cocktail party at Palazzo Bocconi. Amongst the influencers and philanthropists who joined forces for this evening to support Julie Brangstrup, CEO and Founder of Cash and Rocket, were Franca Sozzani, Anna Cleveland, Ennio and Dragana Capasa, Nicoletta Romanoff, Candela Novembre, Angela Missoni and of course all the Cash and Rocket Tour drivers: Jodie Kidd, Eleonora Carisi, Ashley Graham, Alessia Marcuzzi, Lena Perminova, Lisa Lovatt-Smith, Chloe Green, Leila Yavari, Yasmin Mills and Spanish top model and TV presenter Nieves Alvarez.

The tour came to a conclusion on Tuesday, 19 May with a final phase that saw the procession of supercars making their entry into Cannes, the glittering setting of the Film Festival, moving down the legendary Croisette. Here a handsome formation of Maseratis posed for the obligatory ritual of photos, while a Maserati Ghibli and Maserati Quattroporte were featured in an elegant cortege along the legendary red carpet.

It concluded with a glamorous cocktail reception hosted by Chopard, the Swiss-based luxury watch brand, on the Terrace at the Martinez Hotel, which saw Team 01 Chloe Green and Angelica Donati earn the first prize for fundraising in aid of the three charities supported by Cash and Rocket: OrphanAid Africa, Sumbandila and Shine On.