A star-studded charity evening, organised by the captain of the Wales rugby team, Sam Warburton, has raised £20,000 for his two favourite charities; Velindre Cancer Centre and #StayStrongForOws; the charity set-up to help former Cardiff Blues and Wales player, Owen Williams, who was paralysed during a rugby tournament in Singapore last summer.
The sold-out SW7 Charity Evening, which was attended by 250 guests, took place at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Wednesday 20th May. Hosted by television presenter, Sara Elgan, the evening featured an interview with Sam Warburton, conducted by Ross Harries, where they discussed Warburton’s career highlights to date, including captaining Wales to the Grand Slam in 2012 and also the victorious British & Irish Lions tour to Australia in 2013.
The interview also touched on the controversial sending-off by Irish referee, Alain Rolland, in the semi-final of the 2011 World Cup, with Warburton, explaining how his feelings of utter disappointment were put into perspective by the death of his Grandfather only a month after the end of the tournament. He also spoke of his devastation when he heard that his Cardiff Blues and Wales team mate, Owen Williams, had been seriously injured in a rugby tournament and of his admiration for the positive attitude that Williams has shown since the accident.”
Current Wales internationals, Dan Lydiate and Scott Williams joined Harries and Warburton, who recently won his 50th cap for Wales, on stage to share some of their own personal stories about the Wales Captain as well as their thoughts about the forthcoming World Cup.
Between courses, guests at the event were treated to a solo acoustic set by the lead singer of the Manic Street Preachers, James Dean Bradfield, who sang hit songs including ‘A Design For Life’, ‘If You Tolerate This’ and a cover of Andy Williams’ classic hit, ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’. Bradfield is a regular supporter of Velindre Cancer Centre; a specialist cancer treatment centre in Cardiff, which provides non-surgical cancer care to over 5,000 new referrals and over 50,000 new outpatients each year.
In addition to the money raised from the sale of tables at the event, the evening also included an auction, with guests bidding for memorabilia donated by Sam Warburton, including the match-shirt that he wore in the dramatic defeat of Ireland in this year’s 6 Nations and a training session with Sam at the Cardiff Arms Park. All proceeds raised from the Sam Warburton Charity Evening will be shared equally between Velindre Cancer Care and the #StrayStrongForOws charities.
The evening was closed by West-End star, Sophie Evans with a performance of popular songs including John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ and ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’; the signature tune that she sang when playing Dorothy in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s production of the Wizard of Oz.
Sponsors of the Sam Warburton Charity Evening included digital marketing and creative agency, Uprise Marketing, its sister company, Uprise Print, and Wealth Management company, Castle Court Consulting. Guests at the event included Warburton’s former Cardiff Blues and Wales team-mate, Martyn Williams, and former Wales fly-half and BBC TV pundit, Jonathan Davies, the current President of the Velindre Cancer Centre
Sam Warburton said, “I am absolutely delighted to have been able to use the occasion of celebrating my 50th cap to raise much needed funds for two charities that are very close to my heart. I am very proud to be a Patron of the Velindre Cancer Centre; the work that the staff at the centre staff do in helping patients who are suffering from cancer is absolutely amazing.
“It’s also a pleasure to be able to help my friend and team-mate, Owen Williams. Like everyone involved at the Blues, I was devastated by what happened to Owen, but after the initial shock, the club and the players rallied to help him and I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to make my own contribution to the #staystrongforows cause.
“I am also very grateful to all the performers and players for giving up their time for free to support the event and to everyone who bought tables and bid in the auction. I’d also like to thank Uprise Marketing, Uprise Print and Castle Court Consulting for their support in sponsoring and organising the event.”