A local eye hospital has held its largest ever fundraiser, raising £5,000 for charity. The Edinburgh Clinic, a specialist private hospital in Colinton, held the event – a masquerade ‘eyeball’ – on Saturday.
More than 90 opticians and consultants attended the glitzy celebrations at the Balmoral Hotel, which raised a total of £5,000 for Guide Dogs Scotland.
The money will go towards training a puppy to enable them to become one of the thousands of life-changing guide dogs that help people living with sight loss to keep their independence and confidence.
Guests were dressed to impress, with many donning their most colourful and extravagant masks.
They were treated to a three-course dinner and enjoyed live entertainment, including a close-up magician and a performance from the mesmerising and world-renowned ceilidh band Whisky Kiss. Donations were raised through an auction and a raffle prize.
Attendees also heard a powerful and moving talk from guest speaker Mr Bob Sims, who lost his sight two years ago, and spoke about the impact of living with visual impairment.
Broadcaster, voice-over actor, and football pundit Scott Wilson was a popular choice as compere and auctioneer for the evening. One of the country’s most recognisable voices, Scott underwent lens replacement surgery at The Edinburgh Clinic in May 2019.
On an entertaining night, the introduction of a guide dog puppy was a major highlight. The puppy, in training to be fully-fledged guide dog, was introduced to guests and was one of the stars of the evening, stealing the affections of those in attendance.
Alasdair Muir, Clinic Manager at The Edinburgh Clinic, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have raised more than £5,000, which will go towards training a guide dog and transforming the life of a person living with sight loss. It was a magical night and our biggest fundraiser, and we’re so pleased to have had a great turnout for a wonderful cause.
Around 50 per cent of our work at The Edinburgh Clinic is related to eye surgery, so Guide Dogs Scotland is our perfect charity partner. We’re already looking forward to teaming up again for our next event!”
Ryan Kyle, Communications Officer at Guide Dogs Scotland said: “We’re very grateful to everyone who came along to the Eyeball event and helped to raise funds for Guide Dogs Scotland!
“It’s the support of the public and our partners that means we can continue to provide life-changing services for people with sight-loss. We’re delighted that the Eyeball was such a success and it’s been a great pleasure to work in partnership with everyone involved.”
A biennial event, planning is already underway for The Edinburgh Clinic’s next event in 2021!
PICTURES: Chris Watt Photography
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