Sky’s the limit as ball raises over £100k for life-savers
North East surgeons will be able to perform life-saving surgery in war zones such as Ukraine after a Sunderland charity raised more than £100,000.
The Red Sky Foundation was established by husband and wife Sergio and Emma Petrucci after their daughter Luna underwent life-saving surgery when she was just a toddler.
Sergio and Emma began fundraising for the Children’s Heart Unit at Newcastle’s Hospital and the foundation has also supported Sunderland Royal Hospital and Middlesbrough’s James Cook University Hospital.
More recently, the charity has begun to donate community defibrillators, which can beusedtohelpanyonewhosuffers a cardiac arrest.
The foundation’s annual fund-raising Red Sky Ball was held at the Beacon of Light on Friday, and Sergio has been overwhelmed by the result.
He said: “We have raised nearly £113,000 once the costs of staging the event are taken into consideration. The auction alone raised almost £40,000 – David Beckham showed his support by sendingapersonalletterandashirt.
“It means we will be able to buy machines for the Children’s Heart Unit at the Freeman, and for Sunderland neo-natal unit and we will be able to provide equipment for some of the surgeons from the Freeman to be able to go to war-torn countries and perform surgery on children and babiesthatisurgentlyneeded.”
Entertainment came from soprano Emily Haig.
“She started the evening with the national anthem, thendidthreemorearias,endingwithNessunDorma,which leftthewholeroomgivinghera standing ovation,” said Sergio.
There were also performances from dance group Pocket Rockets and the SunderlandSymphonyOrchestra.
Attendees included both cardiac patients and cardiac life-savers, NHS workers and MPs, as well as the Mayor of Sunderland Coun Harry Trueman and guests from as far afield as Texas and Las Vegas.
But there was one person Sergio was particularly glad to see.
“The highlight of the banquet was introducing Kenneth Morris,” he added.
"He had a successful heart transplant using equipment bought by the foundation in 2018andwasheretosaythank you. He says he owes his life to Red Sky.
"Thank you to everyone for their support.”