My mum had a profound and lasting effect on all who came in contact with her, not least myself, my siblings and our respective families. So, I decided to go ahead with the scheduled party, only now it was going to be a dinner/dance charity fundraiser in her name - something that would be a fitting tribute to mark her life.
After doing some research, I decided that all proceeds would be donated to Cancer Research UK. The fact is that every two minutes someone is still diagnosed with cancer - it's a frightening statistic, despite survival rates doubling in the last 40 years. The maths is easy - the more funds raised, the more crucial progress is made to save more lives.
So how on earth was I going to pull it off? Well, with the help of my amazing network of friends, family and colleagues, I was able to put together an event that surpassed all my expectations - thanks to the support of everyone involved and everyone who attended. The evening included a raffle and auction which raised a staggering £29,000.
In 2010, to mark the second anniversary of my mother's passing, I called on the same network of friends and family and together we raised an almost hard to imagine £28,000.
And that's not all. I am pleased to tell you that in June 2011 we hosted our first ever charity golf day and have been holding them annually ever since. Please join me in making these as memorable as the previous events.
Once again, thank you all for your ongoing support and commitment to making a difference in the world.
Ashwin
