Gala ball raises £4,000 for breast cancer charity

A businesswoman from Ashford held a very successful charity gala ball.

Linda Garcia and her husband, Mario, staged the Pink Charity Gala Ball in aid of Breast Cancer Now, at Ashford International Hotel, which raised more than £4,000 for the charity.

Jazz singer Lisa Barrett Smith opened the reception with a wartime musical repertoire.

During dinner, French magician Etienne Pradier from Wye performed, and afterwards there was a raffle and auction.

Guests danced off their dinner to the music of Jason Allen Sway, a Michael Buble tribute act and National Entertainment Award winner.

Vocal duo Here Come the Girls rounded off the evening with party music.

Breast cancer is very close to Linda’s heart, after her mother, Mario and Linda Garcia aunt and she herself were all diagnosed with the disease.

She said: “It was an incredible evening and we hope everyone enjoyed themselves at the Pink Gala Ball, raising vital funds for Breast Cancer Now.

“I’ve personally been affected by breast cancer and I’ve watched loved ones go through treatment for the disease, so this is a cause very close to my heart.

“Thank you to everyone who attended the Pink Gala Ball and helped to make it such a special evening. We are all so proud to have raised such an amazing total for Breast Cancer Now’s work – research that will one day stop women dying from breast cancer.”

Catherine Davies, the charity’s community fundraising manager, said: “We are so grateful for Linda and Mario’s wonderful support. Their passionate fundraising is so valuable and will help Breast Cancer Now continue to fund life-saving breast cancer research.

“With every event held, big or small, we’re powering research that’s finding new ways to prevent, detect and treat breast cancer, until the day when we stop it once and for all. And with people like Linda and Mario by our side, we can make it happen faster.”

Anyone who didn’t attend the event but still wants to donate can do so by visiting http://bit. ly/2slvYJz