Cork: Saturday 1st March:

Over 250 people enjoyed a fantastic evening of fun and surprises at the sell-out Cork Simon Ball, that was held the Sheraton Fota Island Hotel, raising over €130,000 for the Cork Simon Community.

Key sponsors included Heineken Ireland, Premier Group, Designer Tile Outlet, Quintas Group, Henry Ford & Son and O'Callaghan Properties. They were all represented at the Ball by their Chief Executives and Directors.

Guests of honour included the Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment, Micheal Martin TD and Deputy Lord Mayor, Cllr. Damian Wallace.

The evening commenced with a champagne and Heineken reception, followed by a sumptuous five course dinner and fine wines. RTE's Alan Short kept everyone entertained as Master of Ceremonies, as well as introducing a number of after-dinner surprises. These included a silent art auction for a number of impressive pieces from renowned Irish and International artists, Matt Lamb, Martin Finninan, Majella O'Neill Collins and sculptor James Horan.

The Auction was conducted by well-known Cork Auctioneer, Andy Moore. Items under the hammer included a five star mini-break in San Francisco for two, together with Business Class return flights to San Francisco, courtesy of Aer Lingus. Also up for auction were romantic getaways and a private rugby coaching session for ten children with Ireland's Denis Leamy.

Every couple was presented with a special gift from Newbridge Silverware. One lucky guest left with an exquisite Patek Phillipe diamond watch, valued at €8,000, donated by Keane's Jewellers, ably modelled by newly crowned Miss Cork 2008 Jean Kenny, a third year medical student from Clonakilty.

There was also an opportunity for one lucky person to win a brand new Ford S-MAX, courtesy of Henry Ford & Son that caused lots of fun with its ‘roll of the dice' format.

Entertainment was provided by The Tassel Club that delighted their audience with a series of burlesque dances and ‘Moulin Rouge' style moves. Guests danced the night away to Brass & Co.

Thanking all the sponsors and guests for their support, Angela Walsh of the Cork Simon Ball Committee said: "We are truly grateful to our most generous sponsors and to everyone who has attended, donated prizes and supported us again this year. We are delighted to meet our target of €150,000 for the Cork Simon Community.

In reply, Colette Kelleher, Director of Cork Simon Community thanked everyone present for their continuing support. "Cork Simon Community offers people hope for a better future and helps them rebuild their lives when in poor physical or mental health or with crippling addictions. We are using these much needed funds to reach the more vulnerable people in our society and help add to their life expectancy."

All the Key Sponsors were represented by Declan Farmer, Head of Corporate Affairs Heineken Ireland, Pat Fitzgerald of Premier Group, Owen O'Callaghan, O'Callaghan Properties, Tim McCarthy of Quintas Group, Susan and Chris Dineen of Designer Tile Outlet and Eddie Murphy, Managing Director of Henry Ford & Son.