Ball raises £10,000 for medical equipment
Bath came alive with the one of the best balls of the year, The Big Hearted Valentine’s Ball.
Six hours of non-stop entertainment kept guests enthralled from the moment they stepped into the Apex Hotel, in James Street West – receiving a welcome glass of prosecco and hearing Paolo Coruzzi playing acoustic guitar.
Guests then enjoyed a three-course meal before the patron of the ball charity, Professor Raimondo Ascione, told them how last year’s gift to the British Heart Institute was already saving lives.
He went on to ask, on behalf of the team of surgeons at the BHI, for a high-definition medical head camera, which would be helpful in theatre during complicated operations, as well as enabling the hospital to use the footage to train new heart surgeons.
Cruise ship and TV comedian, Tank Sherman, had everyone in stitches. No one was spared as he delivered his jokes before he introduced Gerri Waite as Celine Dion. Gerri had everyone spellbound until it was time for ‘Pure Queen’ as Mark Sanders recreated the magic of Freddie Mercury and had the dance floor overflowing until midnight.
As well as being one of Bath’s best nights out, the ball raised nearly £10,000, which will pay for the new equipment for the BHI. The BHI treats seriously ill heart patients from Bristol, Bath and most of the West Country and is a centre of excellence for complicated heart surgery.
Professor Ascione is a leading heart surgeon and a pioneer of the technique known as ‘beating heart surgery’ where a bypass operation is carried out without connecting the patient to a heart pump. This reduces complications and speeds recovery.
Next year’s ball is already in the planning stage and details will shortly be announced on the website at www.bigheartedvalentinesball.co.uk.