Mimosa Matters Winter Charity Ball at the Hotel Negresco

Join this wonderful local charity in celebrating their 10th anniversary with all the glitz & glamour of the French Riviera, while also raising money for local cancer treatment centres. Tickets still available!

To celebrate 10 years of helping local families face and heal from cancer, the annual Mimosa Matters Charity Gala is going to be extra special. Taking place in the stately grand hall of the Negresco Hotel in Nice, there will be a fabulous gourmet dinner by executive Chef, Virginie Basselot. French Riviera based anglophone charity whose mission is to fund awareness, support, and research so that one day we are free from cancer. It’s a lofty goal, but they are well on their way to making a dent. What separates Mimosa from classic cancer charities is their commitment to local services and their emphasis on support of patients and families struck by the disease. Their community-focused charity events have made them widely popular throughout the Riviera.

Established in 2013 by eight expat women who wanted to give back to their community, Mimosa has since grown into one of the largest volunteer charities in the Alpes-Maritimes. Despite how much they’ve grown, they remain a volunteer-run charity, organising events between work and family life. Their dedication to keeping small and local garantees low operating costs, which means your donations actually go to helping people with cancer.

Community spirit is one of the main pillars of the organisation, and that has also been their recipe for success. Within the French Riviera expat community, Mimosa has become a household name and people are always eager to participate.

Juliette Clarkin, President and one of the founding board members, said: “Over the past few years, we have been so lucky to have such a wonderful community rallying around us and supporting us!”

Actively raising funds

Initially, numerous little fundraisers were organised across the region, from bake sales, to book sales, and clothing drives to Christmas fairs. Today, they have larger annual events with wonderful turnout, including the Nice-Cannes Marathon with a large team of ‘Mimosa runners’, a highly popular kids relay race to support pediatric cancer, the annual winter clothing sale at Le Provençal Golf course in Biot, and their charity Galas. They are acutely aware this was only possible with the generosity of the local community.

At the beginning of November, Mimosa runners raised €11,744 from the Nice-Cannes Marathon, surpassing their 10K goal, which was wholly donated to La Ligue Contre le Cancer. The upcoming Winter clothing sale on 21 November is another successful annual event for the charity.

Keeping funds local is one of the biggest reasons Mimosa has been so popular with the community. Eight thousand people are diagnosed with cancer each year in the Alpes-Maritimes, a shocking statistic to many. The local cancer treatment centres and support centres are grateful to Mimosa and their ongoing donations. La Ligue contre le cancer is one of the main organisations they support, having helped fund the Espace Ligue in Antibes. This unique walk-in centre offers support to cancer patients and their families, completely free of charge. They also fund prevention awareness campaigns and support CSG06 (Cancer Support Group 06), an English-speaking organisation that provides counsellors and active listeners to help patients and families process the enormous emotional burden and fear that comes with a cancer diagnosis.

Supporting kids

From the 2023 Fun Run © Mimosa Matters

Tragically, children are not immune to cancer. In April 2016, Mimosa introduced a fundraiser specifically for children, the Kid’s Fun Run. This mini-marathon in April is open to children from the ages of five to fifteen and proceeds benefit local paediatric cancer centres, including L'Archet in Nice. The event is fun for all and children are so happy to be involved in the cause, many even bring their own ‘piggy bank’ money as a contribution. Now one of their most popular events, This year’s Kid’s Fun Run raised €10,000 for the paediatric oncology, split between the Association Léo and La Ligue Contre le Cancer's research on childhood Leukemia.

The Mimosa Matters Winter Gala

Their biggest event, however, is the annual black-tie ball, a chance to spend a glamorous and fun evening while raising serious funds. This year they are pulling out all the stops for a truly magical evening with all the glitter and glamour befitting the French Riviera.

Held on the 2nd of December at the historic Hotel Negresco in Nice, the ball will commence with a champagne reception, followed by an exquisite three-course dinner prepared by Chef Virginie Basselot, Negresco’s executive chef and the second woman in France to earn the MOF (Best in France) distinction. Live entertainment will dazzle guests throughout the evening, culminating in the highlight of every charity gala: the auctions. Local companies donate impressive gifts for the event. Past gifts have included weekend getaways by private jet, original artwork and prestigious golf club memberships.

The evening wraps up with a live DJ, transforming the event into Nightclub Mimosa to dance until the wee hours of the morning. All the funds raised from the event will go directly to a local cancer support organisation.

Buy your tickets!

Tickets are 225 euros each, or to attend at a sponsor level, a table for 10 2,250 euros.

Buy your tickets here.

If you would like to support their cause by donating something for the auction, contact info@mimosamatters.org .