THANK YOU

Yesterday, we were thrilled to see Cork City's Lord Mayoress and so many Pink Auction donors, supporters, enthusiasts, and volunteers at the Pink Auction. For those of you who couldn't be with us for Julie Anne's final speech, here are the words that go with our heartfelt gratitude:

Lady Mayoress, Ladies, and Gentlemen -

Thank you for attending and supporting this, "The Pink Auction." We hope you enjoyed the auction.

There are a few people I would like to thank today:

• Vibes & Scribes who have given us so much support and assistance from the beginning. Thank you to Joan for being so helpful and supportive. I also want to say a big thank you to Declan O'Meara for helping design the fliers

• Martin Desmond, who gave us a stand at the Innishannon Vintage Rally race

• Rose O'Dea in the Irish Cancer Society who gave us so much support and encouragement

• Lucy Lyons and the knitting group in Youghal Library, who gave amazing support and belief in this auction from the very start

• Denis A. Barrett and Gráinne Killilea, a fabulous auctioneering team who stepping in at the last-minute to help make this event a success

• LifeFM

• Barry's Tea

• Cafe Gusto

• The Imperial Hotel

• WhazOn?

• StitchLily

• The Woolly Way of Ireland

• Lisa Fitzpatrick

• Vibes & Scribes knitting group

• Cork Stitch N Bitch

• LGBT knitting group of Cork

• Knit and Knatter group of the Wilton Library

• Crafty Alley in Killarney

• Creative individuals and groups who hand-crafted textile donations for this worthy cause

A huge thanks to Evin O'Keeffe who made this auction professional, elegant, and graceful, much like herself. Without her help, the auction would not have succeeded and she's also done amazing work photographing and cataloguing all the more than 230 items.

To everyone who has donated work to the auction, thank you so much. Evin and I are both textile artists and we know how much love and hard work has gone into every item here. We are also aware that for many people here who have lost loved ones to cancer, that it was sometimes hard work emotionally too - and we are especially grateful to you.

For those ladies here who are breast cancer survivors and have donated work, thank you for sharing your courage, beauty, and strength with us. I hope today is a day that everyone can celebrate you and your work.

Thank you to Denis A. Barrett who has been our auctioneer and to his colleague Gráinne.

We also remember those we have lost to breast cancer with great love. Today, we help to make sure that we can provide a brighter future for all those affected by breast cancer, now and in the future.

We would like to dedicate this auction to the memory of Patricia Fisher, Josephine Gleason Talone, Kay Conroy Gleason, Jenny Hulehan, Ardyce Elaine Thorson, and Kym McMurray.

Kim Basteed with the Lord Mayoress Catherine O'Connell at the Pink Auction at The Imperial Hotel, Cork City.

Photo: Evin O'Keeffe