These photos are from my club's main fundraiser: a ball held annually to honor the work of the current president. This year it was held at Thomas Prior Hall to honor Maeve Giltinane.
Michael and I helped set up for the ball and stuffed hundreds of gift bags to give away to each attendant. Because so many club members showed up to help the whole thing only took a few hours, and the result was stunning. (Dad, I kid you not, one Rotarian actually said it was the chair covers that made everything so elegantly pulled together - aren't you glad we had them at the wedding now?) 
President Giltinane even generously invited Michael and me to attend the ball, even though we were unable to afford the tickets. We couldn't have been more excited.
The evening started with a wine reception on the balcony of the hall, followed by a 5 course meal. Speakers highlighted Rotary's work and the various projects of the Dublin Central club. Annie Raftis, who has been in charge of the Ambassadorial Scholars in Ireland, spoke about how a Rotary scholarship changed her life by allowing her to experience new cultures. (It was one of the best speeches of the night) There was a raffle and auction for several of the larger prizes, followed by President Giltinane's speech thanking everyone for being so generous and reminding those who donated that their money would go to fund a great cause. The room was cleared of the tables, and a band played for the rest of the evening (at least until 4am when we left). All in all it was a wonderful evening that raised €8,000 for Rotary, and because of my club's generosity Michael and I were able to share in the celebration.
That is a beautiful ballroom.
ReplyDeleteI think chair covers are important :P
Thank heavens I convinced Eli