And the final total raised is....

Well, it is Tuesday after the Friday Purple Party and this is literally the first chance I have had to sit down and get some reflections out my head and onto...well its not exactly paper but you know what I mean.

First of all...charity nights are hard work! At this point I would like to say that I am probably one of the luckiest girls in the world to have such amazing supportive friends who literally did almost everything! My friend Johanne in particular (she's the one in the purple wig) done a super amazing job and getting stuff organised for the hall and half the raffle prizes! My other pals Stacey (cowgirl) and Jenny (not pictured) were also tremendous support!

The stress was still high however and staring at an empty hall at 7.30 I began to think that maybe this was the worst idea I had ever had. I had a rough guesstimate of 60 people, but as txts and facebook messages floated through from this one and that one saying they couldn't make it: i won't lie - the panic was setting in!

Then my parents arrived (Thank GAWD!) followed closely by my aunt and uncle and a bunch of their friends. Slowly, a couple of groups at a time, the hall began to fill. I estimate I had around 30 people. Not great - but not the end of the world either!

So on with the night, starting with my mini presentation. I have to say - most people I have spoke to since have said that the presentation really stuck in their mind (one person even said I was very professional!). Spreading the message of Polio was one of my major aims - so I was overjoyed that all teams got all of their Polio questions correct in the Quiz later.

The rest of the night went well - I forgot loads that I was going to do (The 7 bags of chocolate eclairs that were meant to be handed out that are current living above my kitchen cupboard for example). I got flustered, I got frustrated, I never got drunk! I danced, somewhere in between the maddness my boyfriend met my parents for the first time (I abandonded him as well...major making up to do for that one!) and before I knew it the lights were on, last orders were called and the night was over!

After deducting monies for the hall, the food and entertainment we have a grand total:

drum roll please.....

                                                         £422!!!

I also secured 17 commitments for the End Polio Now Shout Campaign and 12 people signed the petition!

Ok I am not going to lie - the figures aren't earth shattering (not this time) but what I am realising through doing this work is that sometimes it's not about the biggest, best, largest and shiniest accomplishments. Thats not why I am here, not why I am passionate! What I have secured is 804 Polio Vaccinations, 804 Children's lives changed for the better. I am one tiny person who has made a dent in Polio, who is helping in a small way to Eradicate Polio.

I could not be happier!

Special Thanks to: D'Cake Company, TreeTopTreats, PartyPlanit, O2, Flower Stall Oak Mall, Kmax Photography, Hair Shades Wemyss Bay, Sandra Conway, Harry and Alison Conway, Bryan Gorry, Johanne Robertson, Nicole Boslum, Jenny Lang, Stacey McNeill, David McGarva, IBM, The Grosvenor Bowling Club, The Global Poverty Project, Andy McGerr, Total Entertainment and Manzils!  

My name is Grace and I survived Polio

Yesterday I was in the office and my mobile rang. It was a Greenock number and when I answered a women introduced herself as Grace, she was enquiring about my End of Polio Party.

I had handed out letters seeking raffle prizes and put up posters about how to get tickets so I was quite excited at the phone call. Raffle prizes had came in thick and fast but we could always use more right?

"Thank you so much for phoning Grace, how can I help you?"

"Well, having survived Polio I would like to contribute to the campaign."

......

An Iron Lung ward at a hospital treating Polio sufferers.

Grace is 80 years old and living in Inverclyde.  She contracted Polio when she was 6 years old and because very ill. She remembers being in hospital for a long time, aware of others who were sick. Vividly she recalls a man who was in an iron lung; she didn't know at the time but severe cases of Polio can paralyse the lungs and cause death.

Grace missed two years of school - "we didn't have teachers in the hospital in those days love, we just lay there"

Grace survived Polio but has had limited mobility in her legs ever since. She tells me how she never saw herself as disabled and worked hard at school to catch up. She went on to work, she has travelled and had a family of her own.

Grace is an 80 year old women who has survived Polio. She lives right here in the UK.

Grace is an inspiration.


N.B. Grace has given her permission for me to share her story.

Just 5 days to go

So it is just 5 days until my charity event: The End of Polio Purple Party.

Things are going from good to better. Over 50 tickets have sold which puts us into £100 worth of profit already! Raffle prizes have been pouring in, and I now have plans to collate some stories from those who live with the threat of polio now, and suffered it in the past!

The party is shaping up to be an amazing night. Entertainment, food, drink and glamorous guests!

Something I find interesting is the feedback from the GPP. They seem to think that I am doing something amazing, a huge effort, a really big deal. Its lovely to get that feedback, although I don't feel I am doing that much.

I am really excited about the night now. I have my petitions all signed, orders in for food, drinks, Dj is booked, hall decorations are looking awesome and the day off has been signed off by the manager.

Also...I have my dress...!

Moving from nervous to excited now!