From the Daily Mercury 25.2.2010 - please visit our website www.mayorscharityball.com.au for more details.
Col has a ball with charity
Kate Bastable | 25th February 2010
Latin dancer Belinda Poole and Mackay regional Mayor Col Meng warm up for this year’s Mayor’s Charity Ball.
Organised by the Sunrise Rotary Club, the Mayor’s Charity Ball is returning to Mackay’s social calendar after a short break due to the global financial crisis last year.
A ‘Hot Latin Night’ theme promises to add some spice to the lives of those attending the ball, which will be held at the Mackay Entertainment and Convention Centre on May 8.
Mackay regional mayor Cr Meng said about 40 auction items would go under the hammer at the event to raise money for local charities.
These include limited edition Q150 number plates, a bottle of port signed by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and a collector’s edition Australian swim suit signed by the world-record breaking, Olympic gold medal winning 4 x 200-metre freestyle relay team from the Beijing Olympics.
Cr Meng, who has been a Rotary club member for 35 years, said the ball assisted a number of local not-for-profit organisations.
“Rotary does an enormous amount of work for our community and events like this certainly make a difference to many of our local charities,” he said.
“It (the Mayor’s Charity Ball) is one of the social events on the calendar that (my wife) Rhonda and I look forward to.”
Sunrise Rotary Club president Geoff Gibson said the event had injected about $150,000 back into the Mackay community.
“Shortly we will be asking for local charity groups to nominate to be this year’s beneficiary of the funds raised,” Mr Gibson said.
“The night’s theme of Hot Latin Night will have all the glitz and glamour of a Latin dance party, as guests dance the salsa and rumba and others to live Latin music.
“Guests are encouraged to come and enjoy an evening of fun, dance, community spirit, while helping raise funds for the nominated charity.”
Tickets, which include a three-course dinner, can be bought at the Mackay Entertainment and Convention Centre from March 1.
