The MUN School of Nursing and Centre for Nursing Studies collaborated to organize the 2009 Nursing Charity Ball, held March 28 at the Holiday Inn from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. The event was an enjoyable success, raising more than $6,600 for this year’s selected charity, the Down Syndrome Society of Newfoundland and Labrador.

“We had been planning this collaborative fundraising event since September ’08,” said Laura Downing, the MUN Nursing Ball Co-ordinator. “Each year we choose a different non-profit charity and this year it was the Down Syndrome Society of Newfoundland and Labrador. They are a relatively new charity, and were ecstatic that we had chosen them.”

Ms. Downing, who worked with Krista Blake, a student at the Centre for Nursing Studies, to organize the event, said the fundraising went on all year, ranging from bake sales and mixers to selling tickets on two West-Jet tickets that were donated by West-Jet. “We also had expanded publicity for the ball, and ended up with a guest list of over 300 people.”

The Nursing Charity Ball opened with a silent auction composed of donated items by both community business supporters, faculty, and students, followed by a dinner and speeches, spirit awards donated to students by the two nursing school societies, and then final bids and a dance.  “It went very smoothly, and we received much positive feedback from everyone,” said Ms. Downing. “Needless to say, we are very proud of what our two schools have been able to accomplish!”