Motor Neurone Disease Association Benefits from Evoke Charity Ball
A charity ball held by the owner of 888 and William Hill, Evoke, has raised a huge amount of money. The Motor Neurone Disease Association will get £117,000. More than 5,000 people in the UK will benefit from the raised funds.
Motor Neurone Disease Association Gets £117k Donation From Evoke
One of the UK’s largest gambling companies, the owner of William Hill, has made a massive donation to charity after hosting a ball.
Evoke, which also has the 888 and Mr Green betting brands in its roster, held the event in aid of the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) and raised in excess of £100,000.
The charity was selected by the company due to links with regional operations manager Leisa Byers, whose niece Tamara was diagnosed with motor neurone disease at the age of 26. Celebrity guests and brand ambassadors such as Sir AP McCoy, Jason Bell, and Lucinda Russell attended a glitzy ball held at the Royal Armories Museum in Leeds on November 14.
Leeds was an apt location for the home as the city is associated with rugby icon Rob Burrow, who had motor neurone disease and died earlier this year.
In total, the event raised £117,000 for the MNDA with Evoke’s first ever Charity Gala deemed to be a big hit.
Raising Vital Funds
Evoke’s chief executive, Per Widerstrom, explained in a statement why MNDA was chosen.
“At Evoke, we care deeply about the issues that affect our colleagues and communities. Following a company-wide search for a charity partner, we selected Motor Neurone Disease Association due to its close, personal connection to a member of our retail team,” he said.
“Through our charity gala – a fantastic occasion that brought together our colleagues, partners and ambassadors – we wanted to play our part in raising vital funds for this charity while showcasing our commitment to support the causes that matter to our colleagues and the broader community.”
With motor neurone disease impacting more than 5,000 people per year in the UK, the money raised by the Evoke charity gala in Leeds will surely be used well.
Essential Care Services
MNDA’s head of philanthropy and corporate partnerships, Ian D Gardner, said the charity is “extremely grateful” to Evoke and those who attended the event.
“Thanks to your generosity, we raised £117,000 – making it one of the most successful corporate fundraising evenings we’ve ever had,” he said in a statement. “A special thank you goes to Evoke employee Leisa Byers for nominating us as the event’s beneficiary and to her niece, Tamara, who was diagnosed with MND at just 26, for sharing her story in the evening.”
“Evoke’s support is instrumental in enabling us to provide essential care services to those affected by MND and to fund groundbreaking research that brings us closer to effective treatments and, ultimately, a cure. Together, we are making a transformative difference in the lives of those impacted by this devastating disease.”
MDNA is also celebrating the success of a campaign for the tofersen drug (BIIB067), which can slow the progress of motor neurone disease, to be approved for use in the UK.
