Southampton charity gala takes dad's fundraising to £150,000
A special charity gala for Heartbeat organised by Southampton father Mark Ind has pushed his fundraising total to more than £150,000.
Mark, whose son Alex was born with a serious heart condition, held the charity evening for 320 supporters at the city centre’s Novotel Hotel, with a percentage of contributions also generously donated to Cancer Research and the Saints Foundation.
This year’s event, which had been postponed for three years because of the COVID-19 pandemic, raised an impressive £30,000 and was dedicated to the memories of ex-Eastleigh FC chairman Roger Sherwood and local businessman Ian Bonnon, who both sadly passed away in 2021 and who were regular attendees and great supporters of Mark’s events in previous years.
Mark and his family have embarked on several fundraising initiatives over the years, including publishing a lockdown book – with a percentage of the sales going towards Heartbeat – a sponsored 10k run and 18 annual charity galas - often at a local Holiday Inn hotel, a company Mark worked for as a General Manager for more than 15 years.
The efforts of him and his supporters have helped to fund a number of initiatives at Southampton General Hospital, such as the opening of the Young Adults’ Cardiac Ward E2 in 2015, as well as providing important and expensive equipment for the Infant Cardiac Ward E1.
Mark said: “To surpass the £150,000 mark is a huge success made only possible by the incredible donations from Heartbeat’s fantastic supporters.
“We would like to give personal thanks to MC Denis Bundy who, once again, oversaw the evening with musical entertainment from The King Crooner, Lucien de-Laloi, local group the Dottys, and DJ Steve Clarke.
“We would also like to say thank you to cardiac surgeon Nicola Viola, who captivated everyone with his presentation on the pioneering 3D heart project, which is already saving the lives of infants with heart defects. Money raised from the event will go towards the continued funding of this incredible project, which costs £600 per heart.”
With the use of specialist cardiac modelling software, doctors can easily scan a cardiac patient's heart, using non-invasive means like a CT scan or an MRI. This creates a detailed blueprint of the heart, which can then be sent over to a 3D printer.
This machine will go on to create an identical plastic model of the heart, offering an in-depth look at the heart and any defects.
Surgeons can then make an assessment and carry out surgery with a clearer picture of what needs to be done.
Tina Hawke, Donor Development Manager at Heartbeat, said: “Money raised from events such as this is crucial in keeping Heartbeat and its reputation going from strength to strength.
“It is always humbling to witness the community coming together to support our charity and all money raised will be vital in making sure we can help as many people as possible, just like Alex and the Ind family.”
To find out more about Heartbeat, please visit www.heartbeat.co.uk.
READ MORE: Group runs the London Marathon to support Southampton-based Wessex Heartbeat charity
Image: (L-r) Adam Rush, Holly Ind, Jack Oliver Stubbs and John Amor enjoy the charity gala
