GOAL’s annual Ball at the RDS attended by over 300 loyal supporters

Irish humanitarian aid agency GOAL hosted its annual black-tie Ball ,with over 300 supporters in attendance.

Irish sports commentator and television presenter Marty Morrissey was Master of Ceremonies on the night . The highlight of the evening was a panel discussion titled ‘A Look Forward to a Summer of Sport.’ The panellists included Tham Nguyen, a 26-year-old weightlifting powerhouse from Clare Hall in Dublin who became the first Irish weightlifter to win a senior European medal. She was joined by Eamonn Coghlan, a former Irish track and field athlete, three-time Olympian, and loyal champion of the GOAL Mile.

David Gillick, an Olympian and one of Ireland’s most successful sprint athletes, also sat on the panel. David recently visited Uganda with GOAL to see the agency’s life-saving humanitarian work for himself and announced his decision to become a long-term GOAL ambassador.

The event was attended by notable figures from Irish business, including  Colin Hunt, CEO of AIB Group; Anne O’Leary, VP Global Business EMEA, Meta; Don Maher, Owner of Home Store + More; Michael Clancy, COO of Core; James McCarthy, CEO of Nissan Ireland; Shane Nolan, CEO of Leinster Rugby; Michael Carey and Alison Cowzer, Co-founders of East Coast Bakehouse; Dublin Port’s Chairman Jerry Grant, and CEO Barry O’Connell; as well as other senior leaders from Maples, John Sisk & Sons, Recruiters, KPMG, Deloitte, Matheson, A&L Goodbody, Work Matters and EY.

 

 

Siobhan Walsh, CEO of GOAL, said: “We are delighted that the GOAL Ball has become such a highly anticipated annual tradition for so many of our corporate partners. We are privileged to welcome back so many of our loyal supporters this year and showcase how their generosity enables GOAL’s life-saving work in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.

“We are also pleased to welcome David Gillick, our newest GOAL Ambassador. David recently visited GOAL’s work in Uganda and witnessed first-hand the dedication of our GOAL staff on the ground, and the resilience of the local communities we work with. Our ambassadors reflect our core values – leadership, commitment, resilience in the face of adversity, and a deep commitment to equality for all. We’re delighted to welcome David on board.”

The live auction was conducted by GOFFS auctioneer Andrew Nolan and featured fantastic lots donated by generous corporate supporters, including tickets to the Autumn Nation Series – Ireland vs New Zealand game, tickets to the Wimbledon Ladies Semi-Finals, tickets to the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championship, and Coldplay tickets. Other notable prizes included a morning at the Karlswood with Irish Olympic show jumper Cian O’Connor and a Links Golf Package.

Over €140,000 was raised, with final totals still to be counted. All funds raised will be GOAL’s humanitarian aid programmes across Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa.

GOAL is an international humanitarian and development agency committed to working with vulnerable communities to achieve sustainable and innovative early responses to crises and attain lasting solutions to poverty. Established in Ireland in 1977, GOAL has worked in over 60 countries and has responded to every major humanitarian crisis of the last 45 years. Today, GOAL is operational in 15 countries across Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America, reaching more than 10 million people with assistance, aid, and support every year. Please see https://www.goalglobal.org/