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Flutter held its first Charity Ball last week in Dublin and smashed their target, raising more than EUR270,000 for BUMBLEance the Children’s Ambulance Service of Ireland. This is equivalent to two ambulances. Flutter UKI CEO Ian Brown announced that the funds raised would support BUMBLEance’s growth strategy. Flutter also donated EUR125k.
BUMBLEance, a non-profit organization that offers safe and comfortable medical transportation for Ireland’s young patients between their homes and hospitals, is a first of its kind. The ambulances were designed to ease financial burdens on families. They are equipped with TVs, iPad Airs, PlayStations, DVDs, and books in order to relieve stress during long journeys.
Guests heard from parents how BUMBLEance has changed their lives. They also learned that the current fleet, consisting of 14 ambulances, is not enough to make 2000 trips a year.
Deidre o’Kane and Paddy Power hosted the event, which was attended by over 400 people. The event included a silent auction and raffle, as well as magicians and a race between nine mascots called Dodder Dash. The event also featured speeches by the BUMBLEance team, Ian Brown, Flutter CLO, and Padraig O’Riordain, Group Commercial Director.
The prizes included tickets for the Rugby World Cup match between Ireland and Scotland in France. Also, jerseys signed by Ronaldo, Rivaldo, and Neymar Jr. were available.
Positive Impact Plan, Flutter’s global sustainability strategy, includes the Charity Ball as part of Flutter’s pledge to Do more for its communities. Do More aims to improve 10 million lives by 2030. This is possible because of Flutter’s size and the passion of their colleagues. Flutter’s Charity Ball will be held on November 22, in Leeds.
Anna Earley is the Corporate Partnership Manager for BUMBLEance. She said, “Flutter’s charity ball was a truly unique event and we received BUMBLEance’s largest donation ever in one day. The entire team was shocked by the event’s success. We can now focus on our progressive plans to reach more children in Ireland.
This donation will help us to continue our current strategy of raising awareness about BUMBLEance. It will also support our future plans to expand into Northern Ireland, where 1 in 4 children lives in poverty and struggles to get to their appointments. We can also review our ambulance fleet. This event has accelerated our efforts to grow, and ensure that every child can access their healthcare treatment. What a wonderful gift from Flutter’s team.”
Padraig O’Riordain is the CLO at Flutter and the Group Commercial Director. He said that last week, the Charity Ball in Dublin to support BUMBLEance, was a great success. It was an honor to be a part of the fundraising efforts for this fantastic charity that provides a vital service for Irish hospitalized children.
We are grateful to the attendees and donors for helping us more than double our initial fundraising target. This event was a testament to Flutter’s positive impact on the communities it serves. I look forward to more events like this taking place under the Do More pillar in our Positive Impact Plan.
