Hilton Foundation Ball to support provision of life-saving epilepsy alarms
Howard Lake | 14 October 2009 | News
Hilton in the Community Foundation is delighted to announce its support for the Muir Maxwell Trust at the annual Foundation Ball at the London Hilton on Park Lane.
The black-tie event on Saturday October 24th is Hilton in the Community Foundation’s flagship fundraiser. The evening, sponsored by the Ability Group, includes a champagne reception, four-course gourmet dinner and first-class entertainment, including a performance from the cast of West-end hit show Mamma-Mia. Last year’s Ball made an incredible £370,000 in support of Hilton in the Community Foundation and the Lord’s Taverner’s Disability Sports Appeal.
Actor Christopher Biggins, Patron of Hilton in the Community Foundation and long-term supporter of the Muir Maxwell Trust, will be compering for the night. He said:
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“It’s always a great pleasure to be involved with the Foundation Ball and I’m very much looking forward to another spectacular night. Both Hilton in the Community Foundation and the Muir Maxwell Trust do a fantastic job in helping disadvantaged children so hopefully we can raise as much money as possible to support their work.”
Mr Biggins will also run the charity auction and raffle which will include an array of exciting prizes.
Amongst the “money can’t buy” prizes up for grabs is the chance to meet Lewis Hamilton at an F1 practice day in Barcelona, the opportunity to have dinner with West End stars the Jersey Boys after seeing and appearing in one of their shows, a mascot opportunity at a Liverpool game and a private cooking class for six people with Marco Pierre White. A car will also be given away in the evening’s “heads and tails” game and a selection of flights and Hilton stays will be raffled off.
Dame Maureen Thomas, Hilton in the Community Foundation Trustee and Chair of the Ball committee, said:
“This is always an important night in the Hilton in the Community Foundation calendar and in the current financial climate it is more vital than ever for us to support young people in need of help. We are delighted to have the Muir Maxwell Trust as this year’s principal beneficiary and hope that this night can make a big difference to their work. Epilepsy affects over 80,000 children and young people in the UK and these alarms can both save lives and bring peace of mind to many of the families affected.”
Tickets are sold out for the exclusive event which will be attended by business leaders, premier corporate clients as well as celebrity guests.
Every year the Foundation nominates a charity to receive 50% of the net funds raised on the night. The remaining 50% is all distributed to other children’s charities that are supported through its grant giving programme. This year the Muir Maxwell Trust will be the primary beneficiary from the Ball. The Trust is a paediatric epilepsy charity, offering practical support to children with severe epilepsy, their families and carers.
Money raised for the Muir Maxwell Trust will principally be used to purchase epilepsy alarms. A major concern for parents of a child with epilepsy is the possibility that they may have a seizure whilst asleep. Night time seizures are dangerous and there is a risk of death, so sleep deprivation for worried parents and stress for the whole family is common. The alarm makes a piercingly loud noise if a sensor detects violent movement in bed, enabling parents to act quickly; this can give peace of mind and allows many families to have a good night’s sleep for the first time in years. The Foundation hopes to be able to donate at least 300 alarms to the charity.
Ann Maxwell, Founder and Chairman of the Muir Maxwell Trust, said:
“It is a great privilege to be chosen as the charity to benefit from this wonderful fundraising evening. Assistance with the provision of epilepsy alarms is fantastic support for beneficiaries of the Trust. The distribution of epilepsy alarms is where the work of the Muir Maxwell Trust began and whilst there is much more that the Trust does by way of practical support for our families, the epilepsy alarm is essential for the well being of the whole family. We distribute hundreds of epilepsy alarms every year. Hilton in the Community Foundation could not have chosen a better way to support us.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
For further information and to arrange interviews please contact:
John Townsend
PR Officer
Hilton in the Community Foundation
Email:
jo***********@hi****.com
Tel: 020 7605 7733
About the Hilton in the Community Foundation
The Hilton in the Community Foundation was founded in 2000 as Hilton Hotels’ charity dedicated to supporting young people in the communities that Hilton Hotels serve in the UK and Ireland and, in the case of disaster relief, worldwide. Focused on Education and Health, grants supporting disadvantaged young people are made in the UK and Ireland, while in the event of international disaster; grants are made to relief organisations at the Trustees’ discretion.
In 2008 the Foundation awarded £1.24 million to 294 charitable organisations benefiting over 200,000 young people.
The Foundation’s core costs are funded by Hilton Hotels, so every net pound raised goes directly to good causes. Donations are funded almost entirely through the generous efforts and contributions of Hilton team members, family and friends and with the support of Hilton guests and company suppliers.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.