Tuesday 1st November 2011 - Published by Lara Page - Account Manager
Black Tie Ball Raises £8,000 for Tsunami Victims
Charitable folk in Cardiff donned their black ties and raised a whopping £8,000 for those affected by the South East Asian Boxing Day Tsunami.
The HAT Foundation’s third annual Black Tie Ball took place at the Copthorne Hotel, Cardiff, on Friday 14th October. The night kicked off with a champagne reception, with the bubbly kindly donated by Waitrose, Barry, and music from Cardiff-based harpist, Shelley Fairplay.
During an opening speech, Cavan Sullivan, Hat Foundation Founder, explained: “When I first had the idea of building and donating a house after the terrible event of the Tsunami, a customer and close friend said to give it up, as how could housing one family make a difference, when hundreds of thousands had been made homeless?
“My answer was simple: it would be hundreds of thousands, minus one,” said Cavan.
Guests were then treated to a four-course meal, followed by an evening of entertainment from the Panto Company, with Motown as the theme. Throughout the evening, over 50 gifts, all donated by local businesses and individuals, were given away during raffle draws.
Cardiff City footballer Paul Quinn also made an appearance as guest auctioneer, giving away tickets and Cardiff kit, which raised £1,000 in the football auction. A further £1,455 was raised in other auctions, and Barclays Bank matched the first £750 taken in the raffle.
The Hat Foundation was established by Cavan and Debra Sullivan, along with their daughter Aimee in 2005, with the help of friends and customers of Cavan’s Barry-based business, Welsh Window Systems.
