By ALESHA CADET
Tribune Features Reporter
acadet@tribunemedia.net
FOR THE 50th time around patrons at the Annual Sir Victor Sassoon Heart Ball enjoyed a night of glitz, glamour and fun. The ballroom at the Melia Nassau Beach Resort, last Saturday, was filled with shades of gold, black and cream.
The number 50 was visible everywhere in the room celebrating a worthy cause, raising funds to repair the hearts of children. It was all held under the theme “Celebrating the Golden Anniversary of a Vision…Championing the Cause of Children.”
“We have always held the ball annually and we are very grateful that we can actually continue the work that was started many years ago. We are prayerful that we can even expand on it,” said Ingrid Sears, PR Officer of the Heart Ball Committee.
For over 50 years, the Sassoon Heart Foundation has assisted more than 4,000 young Bahamians with heart ailments. They work in partnership with the Bahamas Heart Association to raise awareness of heart disease and what people can do to live heart healthy lifestyles. The foundation relies heavily on the generosity of others to save lives.
According to Ms Sears, the Heart Ball evening adventure started with a prayer by Shabazz Turnquest. It was followed the singing of the national anthem by Alvardo Culmer. This was then followed by a grateful welcome by Portia Nottage, Heart Ball Committee Co-Chair. Mrs Nottage took the opportunity to welcome Paige Davis to the stage to share her story as a recent heart patient. As the junior spokesperson, Paige encouraged people to support The Heart Foundation.
Thrilled by the record attendance at this year’s Ball, Mr R E Barnes, Chairman of the Sassoon Heart Foundation said it was a wonderful evening filled with great music and entertainment. “Many people said they are looking forward to next year’s Annual Heart Ball. We are very grateful for this,” he said.
Ms Sears said one of the highlights of the evening was the presentation of The Lady Sassoon Golden Heart Award. This year’s Lady Sassoon Golden Heart Award was presented to Shelagh Farrington-Pritchard for her work with children and the elderly in need of assistance. In presenting the Lady Sassoon Golden Heart Award to Mrs Pritchard, Mr Barnes said that the award was started as a way to recognise members of the community who give of themselves selflessly to help their fellow man. He said the nominations come from the public and it is the people’s award for recognition of work done to assist those in the community.
In Mrs Pritchard’s acceptance speech, she said, “It’s not about us, it is about helping those in need.”
She admitted that she learned a lot about service and giving from her mother, who worked along with Lady Sassoon, many years ago. She also said: “The ability to shape a better tomorrow lies in our hands.”
Another highlight of the evening included the meal and entertainment part of the Ball. With the five course meal served, there were also live performances by The S G Band (Soulful Groovers), The Royal Bahamas Police Force Dinner Band and The Royal Bahamas Defense Force Dance Band. Bahamian singer and performer Rik Carey performed a special piece drawing a crowd to the dance-floor.
Up for grabs were table and raffle prizes, including the signature Cartier Timepiece raffle prize, auction items, and artwork from The Salus Project. Additionally, each guest was treated to a special table favour.
There were four types of table prizes: beer from The Bahamian Brewery, a special gift, teas from Twining Teas and floral arrangements by Floral Arts. The winner of the Signature Raffle was Ellis Storr. Grand Raffle prize winner for the in-house raffle was Michael Cartwright. Mr Cartwright won a trip for two on Virgin Atlantic to London from Miami, two tickets to Miami on Bahamas Air, “Junkanoo” by Clifford Fernander, a Bulova Watch and sunglasses donated by Colombian Emeralds, a Coronary Calcium Score by Bahamas Heart Centre, and a gift basket from John Bull. The top auction item was a four day/three night stay at Sandals Emerald Bay, coupled with airfare on Sky Bahamas.
In the midst of all the glitz, glamour and fun, Ms Sears said it is important to remember and recognise the cause. “The Foundation’s main goal is to help repair the hearts of children, who cannot ordinarily afford a heart transplant. At present there are patients awaiting surgery, and more are expected throughout the year. Despite the fact that many of the parents are working, they simply cannot afford heart care for their children and turn to The Heart Foundation for help. The help of the public is needed,” said Ms Sears.
“We are truly grateful for the support shown to us by The Prime Minister of our country the Right Honourable Perry G Christie and his wife Bernadette Christie, The Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes and his wife Lady Foulkes, our patrons, sponsors and donors. We are truly grateful to Cable Bahamas our Diamond Platinum Sponsors, our platinum sponsors and all our media sponsors. Thank you all. This support has helped us to continue the work that was started years ago with a mere vision. Thank you. We hope to continue to champion the cause of children and encourage the public to help us as we seek to repair the hearts of children,” said Ms Sears.
The 50 Annual Heart Ball was sponsored by Cable Bahamas, John Bull , Virgin Atlantic, Burns House, The Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas, Bahamasair, Scotiabank, Pictet Bank, Royal Bank, G & M Appliances, Floral Arts, The Salus Project, Barefoot Marketing, Going Places Travel, The Tribune, The Nassau Guardian, The BahamasWeekly.com, Bahamaislandsinfo.com, More 94 FM, Love 97, Island FM, JCN Network, and Star 106.5 FM.
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