Bearsden charity fundraiser gets MBE
A BEARSDEN woman has been awarded an MBE in the Queen's birthday Honours list.
Angela Bruno, founder and president of The White Lily Fund, a local charity which raises cash for cancer research and equipment, was given the award for raising almost 1million for the fund.
Her first reaction to news of the honour was: "Many, many people are more deserving of an MBE than me — like people who actually look after the sick, for example — all I do is raise money."
But the consultants who have been the recipients of White Lily cash for such things as equipment for the West of Scotland Breast Screening Clinic, research assistants for the Beatson Laboratories and cash for both Stobhill Hospital and the Beatson Centre at Gartnavel don't share modest Angela's view of her honour.
Neither does White Lily patron BBC television presenter Sally McNair, who said: "Angela well deserves the honour, having put her heart and soul into the tireless work she does for the Fund, sacrificing family time to raise money from which cancer sufferers have benefited greatly.
"The fundraising for White Lily has been a family affair from the start and Angela's mum — Nona to the committee as well as the family — would spend weeks every year before the annual Lily Ball painstakingly making pink charity ribbons and bows and her husband and daughers all help with her fundraisers — particualrly the annual charity ball.
"Angela is ably assisted in the White Lily committee by her vice president Colette Shevlane and a terrifically supportive committee and I have always been very proud to be associated with the Fund, from which every penny goes to charity with no administration costs deducted."
When Angela goes to be presented with her honour in the next few months she says she will be accepting it on behalf of the committee and explained: "The honour is far from mine. None of what White Lily has achieved would have been possible without the support of Colette and the others.
"It's for them I'll be proud to receive the award for all their hard work over the years — it's for the committee collectively and for the hundreds of our loyal supporters who have helped us raise so much since we began."
Seventeen years ago, after recovering from breast cancer, Angela asked close friend Colette to help her organise a ball to raise much needed cash for research and equipment into the combating of cancer, by way of thanks for the restoration of her own health.
Soon there was the team of Angela, Colette, Angela Di Ciacca, Mimi Coia and Sarah Thomson — later joined by Silvana Conetta, Margaret Barr, Doreen Don, Barbara Hanniford, Monica Hutchison and Tish McGlennan.
The first ball raised 16,400 and committee members were so delighted that their efforts would benefit patients they set a goal of aiming to raise 100,000.
And the rest is history. They just kept on going and this November's ball — the last to be organised by the present committee of Angela, Colette, Silvana and Margaret — should see them smash the 1million barrier.
Congratulations Angela and all at White Lily.
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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