A vibrant Indian-themed fundraising evening celebrating the Festival of Holi brought colour, music and community spirit together on Saturday evening (7th March), raising £7,000 for Mountbatten and the Dementia UK Admiral Nurses Appeal.
Held at the Lakeside Park Hotel in Wootton, guests from across the Island gathered for an evening inspired by the traditional Indian festival of colour, love and spring.
Arriving to a drinks reception, sponsored by PC Consultants, the evening began with a stunning Indian classical dance performance by the Shree Dance Academy, before everyone sat down to eat, and after dinner there was another beautiful dance routine followed by lively Bollywood dancing, with many guests joining in on the dance floor.
A welcome speech was given by Dr Radhika Rampat, the silent auction was presented by Dr Kavita Gulati and Dr Robert Lever and speeches were given by Becky McGregor, CEO of Mountbatten, and Lady Grylls on behalf of Dementia UK Admiral Nurses.
Organised by Jessy and Dr Arun Gulati, the event aimed to celebrate culture while raising vital funds for two much-loved Island causes.
Jessy said:
“Holi is a festival that celebrates joy, colour and community, so it felt like the perfect theme for bringing people together while supporting two incredibly important causes on the Isle of Wight.”
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Funds raised will support Mountbatten Hospice, which provides compassionate end-of-life care for Island families, and the Admiral Nurses (IW) Appeal, which is working to fund specialist dementia nursing support for people living with dementia and their families.
Great to see culture finally arriving on the
island.