Sporting legends Pat Spillane, Dave Kilcoyne, Cora Staunton and Shay Given joined Darragh Maloney on stage on Friday at the Intercontinental Hotel in Dublin to help raise in the region of €150,000 for Cappagh Hospital Foundation at the CHF Annual Sports Lunch.
This year’s event at The Intercontinental Hotel welcomed over 400 guests for an entertaining sports panel discussion, charity auction, and raffle.
Guest MC and Auctioneer Sophie Colgan of the Lydia Fenet Agency of Charity Auctioneers in NYC played a pivotal role in ensuring the event’s success, guiding proceedings, engaging the audience, and encouraging enthusiastic auction bidding and raffle sales.
Speaking at the event, 74-year-old John Purcell from Ashbourne, Co Meath described the life-changing impact of the surgery he received at NOHC.
John, who was born with a rare genetic condition, Trismus-pseudo camptodactyly syndrome, causing a claw deformity of both hands, was moved to tears describing how the operation had changed his life, giving him ‘new hands’.
Thanks to the pioneering surgery by NOHC Consultant Orthopaedic surgeon Ms Grainne Colgan, John can now shave, shake hands and high-five his grandchildren. This life-transforming surgery was the first ever undertaken anywhere in the world.
“As a leader in orthopaedic medicine, demand for the Hospital’s services is continuing to grow” said Angela Lee, CEO of NOHC.
“Research, training and education are paramount to upholding world-class outcomes for our patients. We are very grateful to the CHF and its supporters who have contributed so much to the Hospital over the years. Their support provided funding for research and for essential equipment, which has greatly enhanced the Hospital’s surgical and diagnostic capabilities, leading to better outcomes for our patients.”
“On behalf of our chair Sean O Neill and voluntary board, we are so grateful to our panel of sporting legends, broadcaster Darragh Maloney, and our generous sponsors Mortar & More, Sensori and UPMC, contributors and guests for making this year’s lunch a huge success,” Added Annmarie Sweeney, Executive Director of Cappagh Hospital Foundation.
“The NOHC will use all funds raised through the lunch to continue to improve the lives of more patients like John Purcell.”
“The Sports Lunch event which was originally created and nurtured by Professor Stephen Eustace, NOHC, since 2011, has evolved into a significant fundraising event for the Foundation each year. Board member and Head of the Organising Committee Dr. Niamh Long, Consultant Radiologist at the NOHC took on the role with enthusiasm and dedication. It is hoped that the Annual Sports Lunch is poised to reach new heights, continuing to play a vital role in supporting the Foundation’s funding ambitions.”
We were there as guests of Mairead Kearns of DMG Media alongside Jill Downey and Christina Duff of Core, Emma O’Doherty of Mindshare and Tim Griffiths of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland. Great company on a great day for a great cause.
Cappagh Hospital Foundation is a registered charity supporting the work of the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh. The Board of Trustees dedicates their time on a voluntary basis to providing governance and oversight to the charity. The Board, which is chaired by Sean O Neill, comprises Aoife Gallagher (Deputy CEO at NOHC), Dr Niamh Long, Mairead Kearns, Malachy Coyle, Prof Michael Stephens, Susan Whelan, Mr Alan Molloy, and Paul Cooke.
DMG Media and Core are full members of the Sport for Business Community.
The Sport for Business Membership comprises nearly 300 organisations including all the leading sports and sponsors, commercial and state agencies.
Find out more about joining us today.
Be part of the biggest community of sporting and business organisations in Ireland by becoming a member of Sport for Business and enjoying a host of benefits.
Check out our previous and upcoming events to discover ways of connecting in person with our membership.
