Look Good Feel Better (LGFB) is the beneficiary of the 2012 Grocery Charity Ball

On the 8^th of December a shortlist of aspirant beneficiaries presented their comprehensive appeals to become the 2012 Grocery Charity Ball beneficiary. Applications had been received from 85 applicants and the six GCB trustees gathered at Hansells in Auckland to judge the worthiness of those causes seeking additional funding.

Started in 2004, The Grocery Charity Ball Trust has been established to run the premier event on the grocery industry social calendar, and direct the profits to charitable trusts in New Zealand. The annual event is held with the support of both Foodstuffs and Progressive, as well as the New Zealand Food & Grocery Council.

The presentations this time around were of the highest quality and much debate took place amongst the judging panel before agreement was achieved. Finally a decision was made to make Look Good Feel Better(LGFB) the beneficiary of the 2012 Grocery Charity Ball.

In previous years the recipients have benefited to the tune of more than a quarter of a million dollars, and it is hoped that with the support of the grocery industry, LGFB will gain at least that amount of funding.

Look Good Feel Better is a free service offered to women undergoing treatment for cancer. Its aim is to help restore and enhance the appearance of cancer patients both during and after treatment. LGFB offers guidance, information and makeover expertise at special workshops throughout New Zealand.

The LGFB programme helps women with cancer develop greater confidence and a renewed sense of self. It is non-medical, does not interfere with medical treatment, and does not make any medical claims or replace professional medical advice in any way.

The programme is currently supported and endorsed by the Cancer Society of New Zealand and assisted by the Cosmetic Toiletry and Fragrance Association of New Zealand (CTFA). However limited funding has restricted awareness of Look Good Feel Better.

"Being one of the smaller charities, it is extremely hard to get funding," says LGFB General Manager, Yvonne Brownlie. "The additional funding from The Grocery Charity Ball will help us improve our awareness and allow us to present our charity to a whole new audience."

While the current programme has helped New Zealand women coping with cancer to look good and feel better, since 1991, recent initiatives have extended to teens coping with cancer, and it is in this area that much of the additional funding will be focused.

While the LGFB Workshops have been delivered in 23 centres around New Zealand, the pilot programme for teens with cancer has only extended to Auckland and Wellington to date. With the help of the Grocery Charity Ball grant this programme will be able to be extended to other cities and towns in New Zealand.

The Look Good Feel Better programme helps restore lost confidence and self-esteem to those coping with cancer and it is hoped that once the programme has been extended to teens an additional programme will be started for men.

The boost to morale that the LGFB Workshops achieve can be quite dramatic. To watch a loved one try to cope with illness is very hard and the injection of confidence and positivity rubs off on everyone around them.

The Look Good Feel Better workshop programme is available in all main cancer societies around New Zealand and the Trustees of The Grocery Charity Ball are proud to support this worthy cause.

Trust chairman Don Graham commented: "The presentation by Yvonne, the GM of Look Good Feel Better was persuasive, but it was listening to Pauline enlightening us to the travails of coping with cancer and how the LGFB Workshop helped her regain her self-esteem and ability to cope with life on a daily basis that won the day. Congratulations to Yvonne and her team, the Trustees know the additional funding will be used wisely and to great effect."

After the coldest week in many a year, revellers at the annual Grocery Charity Ball let off steam at one of the best Balls in the past eight years. Perhaps it was the masquerade theme that kept many guests incognito, maybe it was a sign that the recession is over, or maybe it was a reaction to it snowing in Auckland; whatever it was, people had an absolute ball.

Once again, an amazing sum of money was raised during the evening - $235,000. This year the beneficiary was The Hearing House. The funds raised from the 2011 Grocery Charity Ball will help deaf and hearing-impaired children reach their full social and academic potential by ensuring they can listen and speak at the same level as their hearing peers.

Masked revellers took advantage of the Grocery Charity Ball Photobooth iPhone App to upload their pictures, and at times it was difficult to get people away from the Silent Auction tables, such was the interest shown for the many great items on display.

The hilarious Dai Henwood was an interesting choice as Master of Ceremonies and his wicked sense of humour went down well with particular sections of the audience and not just those who may have been over imbibing.

Craig Davson and Heather Brocket lived up to their reputation as stunning entertainers, with outstanding performances of some old favourites.

The evening saw the crowd open their wallets,and this year’s Ball took the accumulated grants made by the Grocery Charity Ball Trust over the last eight years to just under $2million.

This is a remarkable tribute to the grocery industry, and positions the Grocery Charity Ball as New Zealand’s most ‘giving’ charity evening. Both The Hearing House and the Trustees have been humbled by the industry’s continued generosity.

“Another great success,” said Grocery Charity Ball Trust Chairman, Don Graham. “The support the industry gives the Ball is unbelievable”

You can see photos of the ball at the Grocery Charity Ball Photo Stream by clicking here. Or view the official photo's on the QuikPix website.