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The annual Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) Charity Ball has proved another success with $115,445 raised for the Hunter chapter of the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children (RIDBC), ARTC’s Executive General Manager for the Hunter Valley, Alec Mackenzie, said today.
Mr Mackenzie said the Newcastle business community and resources and rail industry had once again dug deep to support a great Hunter children’s organisation.
The Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children (RIDBC) provides vital services for children with vision or hearing loss in Newcastle and the greater Hunter region.
“Children who are deaf or blind require consistent, expert early intervention to achieve the best outcomes – particularly through the critical early years. ARTC’s Charity Ball fundraiser will ensure that we can continue to support local children with vision or hearing loss – from newborns through to school age,” said RIDBC Chief Executive Chris Rehn.
“We are extremely grateful for the generous support from ARTC for hosting the Charity Ball and for the generosity of the Newcastle community in raising such a phenomenal amount,” he said.
The Ball was an idea by the ARTC Hunter Valley Social Committee as a way of investing the money raised from office vending machines and to give the proceeds to a local charity.
The idea, and initial $2,000 investment, proved to be a great success. In 2011, the inaugural ball raised over $77,000 for the Starlight Foundation and in 2012, over $94,000 was raised for the Newcastle chapter of the Miracle Babies Foundation.
“The funds raised stay in the Hunter, are for the families of the Hunter and have supported some great local causes,” Mr Mackenzie said.
Corporate tables and individual tickets to this year’s Ball sold out in three weeks.
ARTC would like to thank its main sponsors of the Ball including Leighton Contractors, GHD, UTS Rail, de Witt Consulting, John Holland, Ansaldo STS, Downer, Strategic Rail Advisory Services and Calibre Global.
For more information about the supporters of the Ball visit: www.artccharityball.com/