2026 REI Gala

The annual REI gala is always an exciting event. Fraught with anxiety beforehand as the small REI team work on preparation for the event, followed by exhilaration for a job done!

And it is always a job done well but this year, it felt particularly good. There was a wonderful feeling of fun in the air at the 2026 gala and quite a few guests said it was their best gala yet. Mostly this refers to the last four years as there was a gap during the pandemic.

Many of the 110 guests were regular loyal supporters but we were delighted to meet new guests who came upon the gala simply by googling gala or NGO or refugees.

The hard-working volunteer team loved the evening as they chatted to guests and shared the magic of the REI mission with them.

The excellent video “Messages from the Field” was well received and undoubtedly convinced quite a few guests to up their bidding. It was clear that the video illustrated the value of the REI mission and the potential of the beneficiaries.

We had a good mix of auction items from hotel stays to beautiful craft items and special dinners. All the live auction items were something that you couldn’t buy, generously donated by valued sponsors.

The evening began with a beautiful performance by Tokutaro Kurihara and Mika Takayama on violin and piano. Guests were carried away by their virtuoso performance. There was complete silence at the tables!

The venue of the Conrad Tokyo is perfect for the gala event and the staff were fantastic in their quiet, efficient management of the evening. The buffet dinner was delicious and allowed guests to network while enjoying their meal.

The gala achieved a net income of ¥8.4million which is an increase of a million yen on the previous year. Following on from a good year generally, it means this year we will be able to send funds to all the five projects we support. The first time since the Covid pandemic.

This is thanks to our sponsors, regular donors and gala guests.

You can view the video “Messages from the Field” here

The silent auction lots here

The live auction lots here