A GALA dinner held in aid of a charity set up to honour the memories of two of Worcestershire’s best known cricketers - father and son duo Basil and Damian D’Oliveira - has been hailed a “tremendous success”.
The first ever D’Oliveira Foundation gala dinner took place on Saturday, September 26, at Worcestershire County Cricket Club’s Graeme Hick Pavilion and raised more than £4,000.
About 150 guests including current Worcestershire players attended the fundraiser, with everyone agreeing it was “a brilliant evening and a fantastic success”.
Members of the D’Oliveira family, foundation ambassadors Gareth Andrew, Paul Smith and Dave Banks and ex-professionals Norman Gifford, Matt Rawnsley and Duncan Catterall were also present.
The event kicked off with entertainment from the Wilfs Carnival Band followed by a four-course meal, games and a raffle.
But the highlight of the evening came from BBC sports reporter Pat Murphy, a “great friend” of the D’Oliveira family who gave a “very emotional speech” before guests danced the night away to the sounds of the JJ Roadshow.
Dormston Cook, chairman of the foundation, said: “It was a brilliant night and we were further buoyed by the news that the event had raised more than £4,000 to help support our work.”
The D’Oliveira Foundation promotes amateur cricket at junior level and aims to “encourage and support participation in grassroots cricket”.
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