Sapphire Charity events - MY WHY
What made you decide to organise a Barn Dance??
Here Karen Newman shares her why...
In 2013 I lost one of my best friends after her incredibly strong & brave fight against Ovarian Cancer. It left a hole in my heart and friendship group that still hurts to this day.
Having a dad who was an oncologist meant I was surrounded by the word Cancer my whole life but it was only when I lost someone really close to me that I realised the profound effect it has not only on the person going through treatment but all those family and friends who support them.
The statistics at present mean 1 in 2 of us will get cancer but with the help of research there is hope that the prognosis for those who get it will continue to get more positive.
In 2019 the year that would have been her 40th birthday I channelled my grief into something positive and not only try and raise money for charity but also put on a night which I know Claire would have loved.
The Sapphire Ball (Sapphire being Claire’s birthstone) took place on 14th Sept and raised over £13,000 for charity. The night was one of my proudest achievements and on that night I said if we raised over £10,000 and everyone wanted to do it again then i would. So @sapphirecharityevents was born!!
In March 2022 my 2nd event took place THE GLITTER BALL in aid of Cancer Research UK. I was blown away by the generosity of those who attended and the companies who donated raffle and auction prizes. The final total including donations thanks to James Ruffs epic marathon run topped £23,000 which I was so happy to donate to Cancer Research especially as donations to all charities were down due to the pandemic.
2023 This years event is thanks to my children, mostly my daughter Sienna who born on Claire’s Birthday and I'm sure has Claire’s inner spirit and determination in her! "Mummy, Why can't we come and party?!! Can you do an event next that we can??"
SO here we are.... The Barn Dance sponsored by Webtrends Optimize is happening on Sat 13th MAY and I am really looking forward to bringing people together again to raise money for an amazing cause.
Karen xxx