REDCAR and Cleveland’s Mayor Councillor Brenda Forster is requesting any prize donations for her major civic fundraiser, the annual Mayor’s Charity Ball on Friday, April 29.
Taking place at Gisborough Hall at 7pm for a 7:30pm start, the event will raise money for two worthy local causes, the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) and the Cystinosis Foundation.
Prizes are required for the tombola, raffle and auction, with all proceeds from the evening going to the two charities.
Councillor Brenda Forster, Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland, said: “This charity ball is going to be a great evening of entertainment with ‘Topline Performing Arts’ and ‘Mosaic’ performances, networking and to simply have fun.
“The evening however is ultimately about raising money for charity, so I would like to kindly ask any residents or local businesses who have any prizes they can offer as donations to help us raise vital funds for two very worthwhile causes.”
Mandy Drake, head of fundraising at GNAAS, said: “We flew 363 times last year in the North-East alone, so we really appreciate the support of Mayor Cllr Forster and the people of Redcar and Cleveland. We couldn’t continue to exist without help like this.”
Colin Howell, whose son Daniel suffers from Cystinosis, said: “There is currently no cure for Cystinosis, so we are trying to raise awareness of the life-limiting condition so more research into treatment can be done.
“We have received great support from our community as they are aware of Daniel’s condition, but only 2000 people worldwide suffer from the disease so not many people know about it. So we’re always grateful to add exposure to the cause.”
Tom Kenning, Cystinosis Foundation UK Trustee, said: “We are extremely grateful for the continued support of Mayor Cllr Forster, Cystinosis is a rare condition which can make raising awareness and generating funds difficult. We are very lucky to have supporters like the Mayor; without whom we wouldn’t be able to fund vital research to improve the treatments for Cystinosis.
“Many patients find the gruelling regime of medications difficult to tolerate, we are currently funding research into a new treatment that potentially will mean lower doses and side effects – the money raised at the Mayor’s event will help us to continue funding this research.”
If you wish to donate a prize towards the evening or buy a ticket, please contact Jane Holmes on 01642 444501 or email: jane.holmes@Redcar-cleveland.gov.uk