Why you should head along to this year’s LauraLynn Heroes Ball

By IMAGE
18th Apr 2019

Why you should head along to this year’s LauraLynn Heroes Ball

Now in its fourth year, the LauraLynn Heroes Ball is a night to celebrate one of the most important charities in Ireland to so many families. As Ireland’s only dedicated children’s hospice, LauraLynn offers invaluable support to children with life-limiting conditions and their families and caregivers, at every step of their journey.

With the ball just over a week away, IMAGE sat down with Carmel Breheny, who organises and facilitates the Heroes Ball every year, to chat about the work that LauraLynn does, the amazing night out of the Ball, and how we can grab a ticket.

What is the LauraLynn Heroes Ball?

The LauraLynn Heroes Ball is a celebration of the work that the LauraLynn Foundation does all year round, and a chance to raise funds for the cause. This year, it takes place on April 27 at the Clayton Hotel at Burlington Road. We’re expecting around 500 guests this year, who will be a combination of businesses, friends of the charity and of course, the families of past and current children who use LauraLynn’s services.

We have lots of brilliant names lined up for the night, including Alan Hughes as our MC for the evening, and lots of people from the Virgin Media One team, Debbie O’Donnell, producer of Xposé and Alan Shortt as our auctioneer for the evening. We’ll also be welcoming former Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald to join the festivities.

The night will be jam-packed from start to finish, with a red carpet arrival, champagne reception, entertainment, an auction, raffle prizes, and a fantastic band after the main events of the evening for those who want to have a boogie.

What do the funds raised from the evening go towards?

All of the funds raised on the night provide specialised palliative care for children, who have life-limiting illnesses, and also provides support for their families and carers. LauraLynn have amazing services for every member of the family, such as play areas and one-on-one counselling for siblings, and short breaks and therapies for parents. End-of-life care is also, sadly, a big part of the work that LauraLynn does.

They support the whole family, with both practical and emotional care. It gives the family time together, and a chance to regain their strength to deal with what is a very difficult time. They can be mums and dads and brothers and sisters, not just full time carers. LauraLynn is there throughout entire journey, with bereavement and beyond.

What are some of the other ways I can support LauraLynn?

The Heroes Ball is just one night of the year, and LauraLynn benefits from donations all year round. The reason I became involved is because it is the only children’s hospice in Ireland; the only place to bring a child to end their days in peace and comfort, that is purely devoted to their care and happiness. You can really donate any time any place. There are also always opportunities to volunteer and lend support too. You can find all the information you need at their website.

Tickets are still available to the Ball, but you can also donate prizes or money towards costs for the night. Once we cover our costs, every cent that’s raised goes straight to the foundation.

I know there are lots of people like me out there who have time, money and excess stuff to spare and I would encourage them to donate that to LauraLynn.