Vital research to benefit from Make 2nds Count fundraiser
Revellers at a glamorous Great Gatsby Ball have raised more than £90,000 to support vital research into a forgotten form of breast cancer.
The gala event, at Edinburgh’s Prestonfield House, was organised by leading UK charity Make 2nds Count which campaigns to raise funds and awareness of secondary breast cancer which kills 1000 woman a month.
The charity, which helps to finance various crucial research projects, also supports patients and families and educates and informs about the little-known disease.
The ball, on March 25, was hosted by STV’s Laura Boyd and brought the Scottish business community together for an evening of fine dining, live entertainment and auction prizes.
The live and online auctions, which included prizes of a three-night city break to Lisbon and an Icelandic Northern Lights adventure for two people, raised a combined £31,664, while ‘Crack the Code’ – where participants were invited to guess the winning combination to win a stunning diamond necklace donated by Rox Edinburgh and the Grimes family – and ‘The Gift Tree’ boosted the cause by another £8,010.
Two incredibly generous anonymous donations of £10,000 each and ticket sales of over £30,000 pushed numbers towards the final sum of £90,274, to the delight of organisers and the sponsors – headline sponsor Copart UK Ltd and table sponsors Bruce Tait Associates, Saltire Roofing, Erskine Financial, David Rankin, Lamborghini Edinburgh and Sutherland Independent.
Make 2nds Count founder Lisa Fleming of Edinburgh said: “We are absolutely thrilled with the fantastic result we’ve achieved. Every penny raised will be invaluable to boost much-needed research into the disease and offer support to more and more patients and families.
“We not only had an incredible evening, but we come away from the experience with the knowledge that we can and we will continue to raise awareness and that the work we do can make a real difference to people’s lives across the UK.”
The little-known, incurable cancer – also known as metastatic, advanced or stage IV breast cancer – is a cancer that has spread beyond the breast to other parts of the body. On average there are around 35,000 patients in the UK currently living with this form of the disease.
Lisa set up Make 2nds Count after being diagnosed with secondary breast cancer. She had no primary diagnosis, warning signs or lump when she was told the disease had already spread to the majority of her bones. It swiftly spread to her brain and she is living with a life sentence.
For more information about Make 2nds Count and the work they do, please visit:
https://www.make2ndscount.co.uk