Jersey Boys help the Hilton Foundation to raise a record amount to support epileptic children
Howard Lake | 29 October 2009 | News
Hilton in the Community Foundation’s Ball at the Hilton on Park Lane has proved an extraordinary success with over £370,000 raised for charity, a new record for the night, now in its ninth year.
The black-tie event, held last Saturday October 24th is Hilton in the Community Foundation’s flagship fundraiser. Sponsored by Andreas Panayiotou and the Ability Group the evening’s guests, including Strictly Come Dancing contestant Lynda Bellingham and Gloria Hunniford enjoyed a champagne reception, four-course meal, and a performance from the entire cast of West-End hit show Mamma-Mia!
Over £80,000 was raised from the auction alone with three guests bidding £12,000 each for the chance to appear on stage with the Jersey Boys and to then join them for dinner at the Ivy. Ryan Molloy, who plays Frankie Valli, even offered to guarantee a kiss from each of the Jersey Boys, which may have helped to increase the bidding! Other prizes included a private cooking class with Marco Pierre White and a luxury holiday to Las Vegas.
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Every year the Foundation nominates a charity to receive 50% of the net funds raised on the night, with this year’s principal beneficiary being the Muir Maxwell Trust, a paediatric epilepsy charity. This half will be used to support the Trust’s purchase of epilepsy alarms to help families ensure that children are safe from dangerous night time seizures, with money for a staggering 414 epilepsy alarms raised from the event. The remaining 50% of the fundraising will all be distributed to children’s charities that are supported through the Hilton Foundation’s grant giving programme.
Actor Christopher Biggins, Patron of Hilton in the Community Foundation and long-term supporter of the Muir Maxwell Trust, was the auctioneer and compere for the night. He said:
“It’s always a great pleasure to be involved with the Foundation Ball and it was another spectacular night. Both Hilton in the Community Foundation and the Muir Maxwell Trust do a fantastic job in helping disadvantaged children so to raise so much to support their work is truly fantastic.”
The Muir Maxwell Trust has long been advocating the use of the epilepsy alarms to provide practical support to families. 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.
Dame Maureen Thomas, Hilton in the Community Foundation Trustee 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 event will 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.”
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 and we would like to express our most sincere thanks to Dame Maureen Thomas of the Hilton in the Community Foundation and the amazing team who arranged the spectacular event so magnificently. 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 alarms every year. Hilton in the Community Foundation could not have chosen a better way to support us.”
ENDS
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.