LEADING North-east cancer charity Maggie’s Aberdeen is preparing to mark a decade of support with a glamorous fundraising ball.
The event, which will be held at the Chester Hotel on Saturday, September 9, will celebrate 10 years since the centre, based within the grounds of Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, opened. And it comes after a successful Valentine’s Ball in February which raised an astonishing £142,000 for the charity – with hopes high the anniversary event will be another fun-filled and successful event.
BBC Scotland journalist Fiona Stalker has been announced as compere for the evening, with further special guests and entertainment being teed up to help guests dance the night away. Tables for the event are expected to sell out fast, and can be purchased by emailing [email protected] or calling 01224 612914.
Over the last decade, the centre has hosted more than 72,000 visits from people whose lives have been turned upside down by cancer, with one-to-one psychological support being offered on more than 5,000 occasions. As well as emotional support, the charity has helped gain back almost £9 million in financial gains for visitors through its benefits advice service.
Maggie’s Aberdeen Centre Manager Kevin Mathieson said: “We are extremely proud of what we have done over the last decade and are looking forward to what will be a special night to mark a special anniversary.
“We have helped tens of thousands of people since opening our doors in 2013, and as much as the centre has helped them in their time of need, they have helped us too, with many going on to raise substantial amounts of money to help provide a variety of services.
“We would not be able to provide the service we do were it not for our wonderful band of volunteers who so graciously give up their time to help others. Some of our helpers have had first-hand experience of cancer and have used the centre in the past, and it is heart-warming to have welcomed them back as volunteers.
“Fundraising events such as this are crucial to ensuring we are able to provide the much-needed service to those who have been diagnosed with cancer, as well as their families. It is a night that allows us to remember those who have benefited from the care and advice we have been able to offer.”
The centre was the charity’s 17th in the UK, and since its inception, a further nine have opened across the country. The £3m facility was opened on September 23, 2013 by HM the Queen Sonja of Norway and HRH the Duchess of Rothesay, now the Queen Consort, who were accompanied by golfing great Colin Montgomerie.
The opening came after a three-year campaign called Monty’s Maggie’s Appeal, which was led by the Elizabeth Montgomery Foundation, a charity set up by the former Ryder Cup captain in memory of his mother who died of cancer in 1991.
For more information on Maggie’s Aberdeen, and for details on how you can help support the charity, visit http://www.maggies.org/our-centres/maggies-aberdeen/
