Jai McDowall & Shayne Ward Perform for Vasculitis

Jai McDowall joins the line-up for Black & Red Ball.

Britain’s Got Talent winner Jai McDowall will perform alongside The X Factor Winner Shayne Ward at the 2015 Black & Red Vasculitis Charity Ball in aid of the Lauren Currie Twilight Foundation. The event will be held at the The Glasgow City Hotel (formerly known as the Glasgow Thistle Hotel), Glasgow on Friday 18 September 2015.

Since winning Britain’s Got Talent in 2011, Jai McDowall has performed on the show’s national tour as well as releasing his own album, called ‘Believe’, which features a selection of contemporary classics that Jai has made his own with his powerful voice.

Jai McDowall, aged 29, was born in Irvine, North Ayrshire and has sung duets with Josh Groban as well as recording a version of U2’s ‘With or Without You’ with the Scala and Kolacny Brothers choir (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNmT63OD1sw ).

Single tickets for the event are priced from £60 and tables for ten people from £600. All proceeds from the event go to support the charity.  The Lauren Currie Twilight Foundation was set up by Grant and Adrienne Currie following the tragic death of their 15-year old daughter and only child Lauren in 2010. Lauren had suffered from Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (formerly known as Wegener’s Granulomatosis), a variant of the auto-immune disease vasculitis.

Lauren’s condition was only diagnosed in the final hours of her life and her parents realised that, with earlier diagnosis, her life could have been saved. Because vasculitis is uncommon and early diagnosis is an important factor in the effectiveness of medical care, public awareness of the condition is one of the charity’s main objectives.

Speaking ahead of the event, Jai McDowall said “I am thrilled to be performing in support of the Lauren Currie Twilight Foundation, alongside the very popular Shayne Ward. Lauren’s parents have made great progress in raising awareness of Vasculitis, so it is an honour to be a part of such a positive campaign. I’m very much looking forward to performing.”

Grant Currie said “We are delighted to have added Jai to the impressive line-up for the evening. The aim of Lauren’s charity is to raise as much awareness about Vasculitis as possible, and having two high profile performers at our ball will help us spread the message.”

Vasculitis refers to an inflammation of the blood vessels. It is an uncommon illness and different variations can affect people of different ages.   As well as educating the general public, the charity educates medical professionals on how to spot and diagnose the disease.