Lutz & Patmos raise $ 5000 for Naked Heart

Lutz & Patmos called on Natalia Vodianova to be their guest designer in 2009, to collaborate on the creation of a simple, yet luxury dress. The dress itself is very clever, as it is based on a “two-in-one principle” with a large collar that doubles as a strapless bodice when pulled down. Fifty dollars from the sale of each dress have gone to the Naked Heart Foundation. As Natalia says: “It’s a lot of money, even if we only sell 100.” We are very glad to say that the sale of a hundred dresses has raised $5000, which will go towards our 2010 building program.

Our last 2009 opening in Leningrad Region (01.12.09)

We opened our last play park of 2009 in the town of Kingisepp on 29th November. With a population of just over 50,000, Kingisepp is one of the smaller towns we have built it – but the turnout at the play park opening was no less impressive than usual. It was an autumnal day and the park was full of energy with hundreds of children and their parents present until late into the evening. The red ribbon was cut by the town's mayor Viktor Geshele and Asya Zalogina, our Russian Executive Director.

Natalia opens our Beslan play park (02.11.09)

Five years after the tragic events of Beslan in September 2004, Naked Heart has finally opened a play park in Beslan. This was a very moving and important day for the Naked Heart team. We visited the chidlren's graves and a monument marking those who were killed in this «City of Angels», as well as School No. 1, where the tragic incident occurred. The weather meant we were unable to spend much time in the play park itself, and so entertainment and festivities were moved to a nearby hall, where talented young local singers and dancers were joined by Natalia on stage. It was a day of both incredible sadness and incredible joy. We were left with the overriding sense that the Naked Heart play park will only strengthen the city's determination to help their children to live full and playful childhoods, despite the huge tragedy they have experienced.

Ivanovo gets its first Naked Heart play park (30.10.09)

Our fifth play park of 2009 opened in Ivanovo on 27th October. The celebration was held at the end of the school day, so all local children could attend. Hosted by Ivanovo Region's Governor Mikhail Men, Duma Deputy Tatiana Yakovleva and Ivanovo's Mayor Alexander Fomin, it was a big turn-out for the city, with hundreds of children and their parents.

A Naked Heart play park beside Lake Baikal (11.10.09)

From Ulan-Ude, the Naked Heart team and trustees traveled to Biisk in Altai Republic to join over three thousand children and parents for a memorable play park opening. Natalia once again gave a speech to the crowd, this time from the ship itself, and spent hours giving out autographs to the children. Children played with great enthusiasm on all the new equipment and cameraman Darren Bull interviewed parents and filmed the children at play. We would like to thank the Rotary Club of Biisk, who co-funded the play park and organised the opening. It was a memorable day!

A Naked Heart play park beside Lake Baikal (10.10.09)

Ulan-Ude, the capital of Buryatia, became the latest point on the Naked Heart map of play parks, and the welcome we received there was incredible. We were greeted by two thousand children and parents on a very sunny Indian Summer day. Natalia cut the red ribbon, spoke to the crowd from the stage and spent over three hours signing autographs. Children clambered all over the ship and smaller play areas, and skateboarders showed off their skills all afternoon. It was a special opening for us, attended not only by Natalia, but by the whole Naked Heart team, and three of the Naked Heart's international trustees: our new trustee Lucy Yeomans, Editor of Harper's Bazaar UK; Justin Portman; and Jamey Hargreaves. After the opening, we were entertained by the local government who hosted a special dinner for Natalia and thanked her for making the new play park possible. We were also joined by CNN cameraman Darren Bull and independent producer Andrea Tennant, who are making a short film about the Natalia and the foundation's work.

Our first parks of 2009 open in Pokachi and Kondopoga (10.09.09)

Pokachi


Kondopoga

Naked Heart marked the early September first-day-of-school celebrations with new play parks for Pokachi in Khanti Mansy Autonomous Okrug and Kondopoga in Karelia, northern Russia. Natalia and Justin attended the opening ceremonies at both parks, cut the red ribbons and met local children, parents and journalists. In Kondopoga, the new park is bordered by a large residential area, three kindergartens and two schools, meaning the play park will be used by hundreds of children on a daily basis.