Lord Mayor presents cheques to Charity Ball beneficiaries

THE three Cork charities selected to benefit from the Lord Mayor’s Charity Ball, which was held in April, were this week presented with cheques from funds raised at the event.

This year’s ball was in aid of three local charities: The Rainbow Club, the Mercy University Hospital Foundation and the Cork Mental Health Foundation. A total of €21,000, which was divided equally between the beneficiaries, was raised at the gala event.

The Lord Mayor, speaking at the cheque presentation at City Hall, expressed his delight at the opportunity to present the proceeds of the ball.

“Thanks to the generosity of attendees on the night, and of local businesses and sponsors who came on board with the event, a significant amount of money was raised that will support vital services for the people of Cork,” he said.

“As well as raising much-needed funds, the charity ball was also a key community awareness initiative for me which has togetherness at its heart.”

The Lord Mayor also expressed his gratitude to all the sponsors who supported the charity event. These included Aiken Promotions, Barry & Fitzwilliam, Barry’s Tea, Cork Airport, Cork City FC, Cork International Hotel, the elected member of Cork City Council Mick Finn, Heineken Ireland, the INEC Arena in Killarney, the Rebel City Distillery, and the Rochestown Park Hotel.

When the Lord Mayor launched the event in February, he described the charity ball as a “key community awareness initiative which has togetherness at its heart”.

Mercy University Hospital Foundation CEO Michael Sheridan said money raised through the new partnership would support ongoing projects at the hospital, and beneficiaries would include cancer patients and their families attending the hospital’s Mercy Cancer Care Centre that opened its doors in March.

The CEO of the Cork Mental Health Foundation, Brendan McCarthy, expressed the gratitude of the body and said the funds raised at the charity ball would be used to support its work throughout the city, such as Joy In The Park and The Next Step.