.The Mater Hospital Foundation has teamed up with Radio Nova’s Morning Glory presenters PJ Gallagher and Jim McCabe (pictured) to encourage men from all across Ireland to take part in The Dickie Dip. Pic: Celine Nic Oireachtaigh
THE Mater Hospital Foundation has teamed up with Radio Nova’s Morning Glory presenters PJ Gallagher and Jim McCabe to encourage men from all across Kerry and all of Ireland to take part in The Dickie Dip; the annual, all-male, life-affirming skinny dip fundraiser, taking place in Skerries, Co. Dublin on Saturday, November 16.
Join PJ, Jim and hundreds of brave men baring it all and wading into the sea to help make a life-saving difference for men’s cancer patients in the Mater Hospital.
Since the inaugural event in 2019, The Dickie Dip participants have stood in solidarity with their fellow men and raised a phenomenal €414,000 to provide essential supports and services for patients who need it most in the hospital.
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This year, the Mater Hospital Foundation hopes to raise an ambitious €120,000 for men’s cancer care in the Mater, with the help of hundreds of brave dippers.
Simply visit www.materfoundation.ie/dickiedip and fill out the short registration form. Every dipper who signs up will receive a free dickie bow and a personalised Eventmaster fundraising page, which they can share with family, friends, colleagues and neighbours.
Participants will also be invited to join the Dickie Dip Facebook Group, where you can meet with fellow Dickie Dip participants and learn more about this exhilarating and impactful event.
.Padraig McGillicuddy with TJ O’Connor and Andrew Foley during the Four Peaks Challenge last Sunday.
THREE friends completed the remarkable feat of climbing Ireland’s toughest peaks in less than 24 hours to help out two children bravely battling a rare condition…and their efforts have raised nearly €55,000!
Alannah and Adam Foley, two children from Killorglin, bravely fighting Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1), have captured the hearts of their community.
In a remarkable display of support, the trio of friends embarked on The 4 Peaks Challenge last Sunday in a bid to raise awareness and funds for the siblings’ ongoing treatment.
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Father of Alannah and Adam, Andrew Foley was joined by TJ O’Connor of the MTU and Proprietor of Ballygarry Estate, Padraig McGillicuddy, in tackling Carrauntoohil (1040m) in Co. Kerry, Mweelrea (841m) in Co. Mayo, Slieve Donard (840m) in Co. Down, and Lugnaquilla (925m) in Co. Wicklow, amazingly completing the four in 23 hours.
“It was an amazing and wholesome feeling to climb for this cause,” said Padraig McGillicuddy. “The Foley family have had a lone journey that is now shared through a community. The opportunity to help was unsurpassable especially when you meet Alannah and Adam. These kids are extra ordinary, unique and so deserving of support.
“Lastly I don’t know if I’ve ever seen such a sense of community as that which surrounded the family this past month culminating in this weekend,” concluded Padraig.
So far the Neuro GoFundMe page has raised nearly €55,000 showing that the efforts of the community can really make a difference.
.Katie Crean with Karina Sweeney after she had her hair cut for charities.
A CARING Castlegregory teenager has this week taken the plunge and chopped 14 inches from her hair to help two charities.
Transition Year student at Mean Scoil An Leith Truigh, Katie Crean (15), grew her hair over the last three years knowing that she would eventually donate it to charity.
On Wednesday she took on a whole new look after Tralee hairdresser Karina Sweeney from ‘Hair By Karina’ cut 14 inches off, which Katie is now donating to the Rapunzel Foundation, a charity that makes wigs for sick children.
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In less than a week, Katie raised over €800 for the Kerry Hospice Foundation, a charity which is close to her heart.
Katie with her long locks before the cut.
“I wanted to give something to a great charity that helps a lot of people,” Katie said.
“The Kerry Hospice Foundation were very good to my family two years ago when we needed them, especially the staff in the Palliative Care Unit. Since then I have wanted to do something to raise funds and awareness for them. My hair was long so I decided to keep growing it so that I could donate it to the Rapunzel Foundation and also collect donations separately for Kerry Hospice.”
She is delighted with the response from the public.
“I had set a target of €250 on iDonate not thinking I would reach it. However, after a few days I was thrilled to see it had reached €800. I’m hoping that I can get it to €1,000 before the closing date on October 17th.”
.At the coffee morning in Paco in aid of the MS Society Tralee/West Kerry branch were, Audrey Moran, June Carey, Catherine Dolan of MS Tralee, Mary Lynch and Eileen Whelan and Carole Dooley of Paco. Photo by Dermot Crean
WELL-KNOWN fashion store Paco, located on The Mall, was packed on Friday morning as they hosted a coffee morning for a great cause.
Members of the MS Society Tralee/West Kerry Branch were on hand serving teas, coffees and treats in return for a donation while everyone who gave was entered into a draw for spot prizes.
The event coincided with the reopening of the newly refurbished outlet, which had been closed for nearly two weeks due to a redesign.
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Manager Eileen Whelan has been holding instore charity events for various causes over the years, but wanted the first one in the new-look store to be for the local MS charity.
“A good friend of mine Audrey Moran has MS so we started raising money for the local branch of MS about eight years ago when I started here in Paco. All the money raised here funds their pilates and exercise classes which it vital for people with MS.”
At the new look Paco store on the Mall on Friday were; Carole Dooley and Eileen Whelan of Paco and Susanna Cahalane. Photo by Dermot Crean
“We’re delighted with how the store has turned out, but more so to see progress in the town and it’s a positive, good news story for Tralee,” added Eileen.
.Pictured at the launch of 100K in 30 Days in aid of the Marie Keating Foundation are: Linda Keating Founder & Director of Fundraising, The Marie Keating Foundation, TV Presenter Glenda Gilson, Breast cancer survivor Eileen Sheehy and Rose of Tralee Rachel Duffy. Photograph: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland
THE people of Kerry are encouraged to participate in a ‘100K in 30 Days’ event to raise funds for the Marie Keating Foundation.
100K in 30 Days have teamed up with the Marie Keating Foundation to support their vital breast cancer services and organisers are calling on the people of Kerry to sign-up for the June event. Rose of Tralee Rachel Duffy is one of many supporting the event.
Marie Keating lost her life to breast cancer 25 years and her son Ronan Keating will be running 100K across the 30 days of June to raise awareness and show support for the Foundation he and his siblings set up in her name.
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Joining Ronan in the challenge is his wife Storm, children Missy and Jack, Dancing with the Stars Judge Arthur Gourounlian, Today FM presenter Dara Quilty, broadcasters Glenda Gilson, Norah Casey, Laura Woods and Anna Daly, to name but a few.
2023 is the fourth year of the event and to date over €4million has been raised for breast cancer services in Ireland, including the state-of-the-art Clinical Trial Centre in the new Breast Centre at Beaumont Hospital.
“We lost Mum 25 years ago, she was just 51,” said Ronan. “Mum’s cancer was one of the most curable forms of breast cancer but unfortunately she didn’t know enough about it. That’s why it’s crucial that we get the message out there of the importance of early detection, it can save your life! So much money has been raised by so many people over the last three years and The Marie Keating Foundation are very grateful to be the chosen charity for the 2023 100k in 30 Days challenge, and we will do all we can to make this the best year yet.”
100K in 30 Days for breast cancer takes place over the month of June. Organisers are calling on everyone – runners, walkers, those in wheelchairs, families, colleagues, schools, community groups and sports teams, whether you’re based in Ireland or abroad, to join the #pinkarmy and take part in the June event. Registration is now open at www.100kin30days.ie.
.TLI Group were delighted to present a cheque to Breakthrough Cancer Research after completing the Ring of Kerry Cycle.
TLI Group staff recently took part in the Ring of Kerry Cycle and raised an impressive €12,595 for Breakthrough Cancer Research.
The staff at TLI Group, which has its headquarters near Abbeydorney, commenced their training and preparation earlier this year and after months of spinning classes, road cycling and healthy eating, it finally came to fruition for Team TLI Group as they set off from Killarney to take on the 170KM Ring of Kerry charity cycle.
TLI Group joined forces with Breakthrough Cancer Research to help them raise as much money as possible to assist in continuing the fantastic work that they are doing across the country.
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The company chose this charity in recognition of all of their colleagues who have been touched by cancer either directly or within their families or communities.
TLI Group deliver critical utility infrastructure in the multidisciplinary areas of overhead lines, telecoms networks, smart metering, home energy retrofits, renewables, engineering and consultancy services.
The company, which has 950 staff, operates throughout Ireland, Northern Ireland and the UK and is expected to expand again throughout 2023.
.Representatives from the four charities with the cheque for €121,008, the proceeds from the Radio Kerry Bingo Game.
KERRY Cancer Support Group, Kerry Hospice, Recovery Haven Kerry Cancer Support House and Comfort for Chemo Kerry between them share €121,008, the proceeds from the Radio Kerry Radio Bingo game in the first year.
Following a hiatus of many years, Radio Kerry reintroduced the popular Radio Bingo game in May 2021 at a time when many live events and especially charity fundraisers were on hold due to the Covid19 pandemic.
Radio Kerry worked with the four charities in July 2020 on a one day fundraiser called Celebrate4Life which raised over €135,000. They were then offered the opportunity to partner with the station on the Radio Bingo game. In total €256,000 has been raised by the people of Kerry, facilitated by Radio Kerry, for the four charities.
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General manager of Radio Kerry Fiona Stack said; “We are lucky to live in a place with a strong sense of community. The shareholders in Radio Kerry are all local businesses and organisations and are fully committed to any funds raised by the Radio Bingo being passed on to support local charities”.
Breda Dyland of Kerry Cancer Support Group said “Radio Kerry Bingo came at just the right time for Kerry Cancer Support Group. We were coming out of what had been a very difficult time during Covid when all fundraising had almost come to a halt. The bingo raised not only vital funds but awareness too. The majority of the funding has been ringfenced for a new wheelchair accessible bus for our Cork route. We were lucky to receive 100k in funding but have to raise another 90k to buy the vehicle. Thanks to everyone who continues to support. It really means a great deal to the team and most of all to our service users.”
Jack Shanahan, Chairman of the Kerry Hospice Foundation said they are delighted to accept this substantial amount from Radio Kerry. “Along with supporting our regular palliative care services, the extra money will be spent helping employ two new full time advanced nurse practitioners. They will provide much needed extra clinical support for our extremely busy units”.
Marisa Reidy, PR & Marketing Officer, Recovery Haven Kerry said, “Once again, we are absolutely blown away by the generosity and goodwill of the people of Kerry and want to thank them for their support of Radio Kerry Bingo. We hope they know just how much we appreciate their support and never take it for granted. Meanwhile, the team at Radio Kerry have been such wonderful supporters of our charity from day one, and we are so grateful that they thought so highly of us – and the other cancer support services in Kerry – to include us in this year’s Radio Kerry Bingo. The funds raised surpassed all our expectations and will go a huge way in allowing us to support those affected by cancer and their families”.
Mary Fitzgerald, Chairperson Comfort for Chemo Kerry said that the funds raised will go towards continuing fundraising to help build, equip and provide comfort for patients undergoing chemotherapy in a state of the art chemotherapy unit within the grounds of UHK As part of their fundraising they are holding the Inaugural Hope Social in Ballyroe Heights Hotel, Tralee.
It was very well received by previous players and also a new cohort of players have also been tempted by the ease of access to the game, the price point, the prizes on offer and the opportunity to support the four partner charities.
As well as the weekly Jackpot there is a daily prize of €400 for players who fill a panel on the daily page. Numbers are broadcast 5 times per day on Radio Kerry as well as being posted on Radio Kerry Facebook and Instagram Stories daily. Books are €5 each available from over 70 outlets countywide. Radio Kerry does not take benefit financially from the Radio Bingo game.
Since then €70,395 in prize money has been won by players, €43,995 in daily prizes and two Jackpot wins of €13,800 and €12,600
The Radio Kerry Radio Bingo game is now in its second year and proceeds from the game continue to be distributed equally among the four charity partners Kerry Cancer Support Group, Kerry Hospice, Recovery Haven Kerry Cancer Support House and Comfort for Chemo Kerry.
For more details on Radio Kerry Radio Bingo and a list of participating shops where books can be purchased are available on www.radiokerry.ie/bingo
.The presentation of a cheque to Kerry Cance Support Group by Tom Pa O’Connor at the Kingdom Greyhound Stadium on Friday last.
IT was a very special night at The Kingdom Greyhound Stadium on Friday night with a fantastic crowd in attendance as Tom Pa O’Connor presented an incredible €85,000 to representatives of three Kerry based Cancer Services Charities.
The North Kerry man has raised more than €125,000 for cancer and hospice care.
Inspired by Tom Pa’s response to his cancer diagnosis, his friends, including many in the greyhound community carried out unbelievable work raising much needed money.
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Cheques were presented to Kerry Hospice Foundation, Colorectal Cancer Services and Kerry Cancer Support Group.
A further €40,000 was presented to CUH Cancer Services at an event hosted at Curraheen Park Greyhound Stadium, Cork on Saturday night.
Presentation of cheque to Kerry Hospice Foundation by Tom Pa O’Connor at the Kingdom Greyhound Stadium on Friday.Presentation of cheques to Colorectal Care Services by Tom Pa O’Connor at the Kingdom Greyhound Stadium on Friday.
.Ann Eager and friends present a cheque at Beaumont Hospital on Wednesday, the proceeds of a charity cycle last year.
A TRALEE woman presented a cheque for over €5,631 to the Beaumont Hospital Foundation in Dublin on Wednesday, following a fundraising event last year.
Ann Eager, who took on a charity cycle from Donegal to Derrymore in aid of the ICU in Beaumont and the Cardiac Rehab Unit in UHK back on October 2, 2021, eventually raising over €11,000.
The Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit at University Hospital Kerry also received a similar cheque from Ann late last year.
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Ann, along with friends Breda and Martin Quirke and Sarah Hensman, took on the six day cycle of over 530 kilometres in memory of Ann’s late sister, Pauline Lynch, who sadly passed away unexpectedly in December 2019.
Ann wanted to thank the ICU unit in Beaumont for “their outstanding care of Pauline and the family while she was a patient there in December 2019”.
Beaumont Hospital Foundation wished to thank Ann and friends for the wonderful donation and also thanked all who contributed.
KERRY people are invited to vote for their favourite charity so that they’re in with a chance of sharing in £120,000 to be given away over 12 days next month.
The season of giving is almost upon us and specialist education, faith, heritage and charity insurer, Ecclesiastical Insurance, has launched its annual 12 days of giving Christmas campaign to give £120,000 (approx. €140,000) to good causes across Ireland and the UK.
As part of the campaign 120 different charities will get an early Christmas gift of a £1,000 donation from the Ecclesiastical 12 days of giving campaign.
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Ten winners will be announced each weekday between the 6th and 21st of December.
The charities are selected at random from nominations received from the public and Ecclesiastical is inviting people in Kerry to nominate a registered charity to put them in with a chance to win.
It’s quick and easy to nominate a charity online. Nominations are open until the 21st of December and you can vote for your favourite charity at www.movementforgood.com/12days
Winners will be drawn at random – and while it is not a popularity contest, the more times a charity is nominated the more chance it has of being selected.
Ecclesiastical is encouraging everyone to use their social media channels to ask people to vote for their favourite charity to give them the best possible chance of winning.
.John Dennis, Joe Grace, Muireann Dowling, Mark Sheehy and Fergal O’Sullivan looking forward to the cycle from Castlebar to The Castle Bar next week. Photo by Dermot Crean
A GROUP of cyclists from Tralee are taking an unusual route next week from ‘castle to castle’ in aid of the Kerry Hospice Foundation.
Mark Sheehy from Tralee and Michael Ferriter from Castlegregory have organised a cycle from Castlebar in Mayo to The Castle Bar in Tralee from Thursday, August 5 to Saturday, August 7.
Mark explained how the idea came about. “We did a cycle from Dublin to Kerry last year in aid of a soup kitchen set up by a friend of ours in Dublin last year so we had a good experience and said we’d do something different this year.”
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That cycle raised thousands for a great cause so the lads had such fun they wanted to do go on another trip. Mark had heard a story about a couple of local lads from town who went on a leisurely cycle one day and somehow ended up in Castlebar in Mayo so that inspired the idea.
Next Thursday, the group of 12 are going from Castlebar to Galway on the first day, then travelling on a coastline route to Clare, ending up in Lahinch on Friday and on to Tralee on Saturday for some refreshments in Rock Street hostelry.
Mark’s grandfather Noel Loughran passed away last year and the Palliative Care Unit provided amazing care for him, so it was decided to raise the money for that great cause.
The cyclists taking part are Mark Sheehy, John Joe Sheehy, Muireann Dowling, Joe Grace, Eamon Sayers, Gavin Duffy, Will Crean, John Dennis, Donal Lyons, Mike Ferriter, Mike Quilter and Derek Donoghue and Aisling O’Brien is in the support car sponsored by Adams of Tralee while Jackie Power Buses are bring them up to Castlebar.
A gofundme page has been set up and it has realised nearly €5,000 so far (as of 1.15pm on Saturday). If you’d like to support the cycle click here to go to the gofundmepage.
TESCO staff in Tralee and around the country are dressing up to help raise awareness and funds for CHI at Temple Street this Halloween.
They are planning to keep spirits high for shoppers for the annual ‘Trick or Treat for Temple Street’ which runs from Monday, October 26 to November 1.
Customers won’t see the usual cake sales, face-painting and balloons in-store due to the safety guidelines around Covid-19, but Tesco colleagues will bring the fun as they dress up and call on customers to help support CHI at Temple Street.
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Tesco customers can choose to donate €1 at the till or at the checkout online, with 100% of the funds raised going to support the little heroes in CHI at Temple Street.
The target for this year’s Trick or Treat for Temple Street is to raise funds which will go towards a new CT Scanner costing €1.2 million for the children’s hospital. In August, customers and colleagues raised an amazing €170,000 which started the fundraising for the scanner.
In February this year, Tesco announced it had reached a monumental milestone, having raised €5 million over the course of the five-year partnership with CHI at Temple Street. During the partnership, the funds raised helped the hospital to purchase over 270 pieces of vital medical equipment.
RADIO Kerry ‘s Celebrate4Life, fundraising initiative on behalf of four Kerry charities – Kerry Hospice Foundation, Comfort for Chemo, Recovery Haven and the Kerry Cancer Support Group, has raised €133,500.
The charities involved say they are hugely grateful and extremely humbled by the generosity shown to them throughout the appeal.
They are also delighted with the coverage they received from Radio Kerry across the two weeks of the Celebrate4Life fundraising campaign which was hugely beneficial in helping to promote the services that they offer.
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Speaking about the Celebrate4Life total, Radio Kerry CEO Tim O’Keeffe said; “Radio Kerry started out with a proposal to raise some much needed funds for 4 local charities and this was supported by our Board with a contribution of €10,000.
“The result has both humbled and delighted me. The amount of money raised reflects the appreciation of the work done by these charities and the ability of Radio Kerry to assist in the supporting relevant causes due to its large and diverse listenership in Kerry and beyond.”
.Photographed at the launch of the ‘Food for Good’ Christmas Campaign in the Aldi Royal Canal Park Store is TV personality, Glenda Gilson and Co – Founder of FoodCloud, Aoibheann O’Brien. Pic: Conor McCabe.
ALDI has launched its Food For Good campaign with FoodCloud to help those in need this Christmas, including their charity partners Novas Knocklee House and ADAPT Kerry Women’s Refuge in Tralee.
A new independent survey from Aldi has found that households in Kerry throw out over €1.5m worth of food each year, peaking at Christmas time, when households waste half as much again – the equivalent of thousands of Christmas dinners.
The survey revealed Irish shoppers waste 50% more food during Christmas week than compared to the rest of the year.
Despite shoppers reporting an increased propensity to help charities during the festive season (with 69% responding that they were more likely to give to charity at Christmas), only 21% of those surveyed donated excess Christmas food to those in need last year.
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With the Food For Good campaign with FoodCloud, customers can purchase and leave food donations in their local store, so that it can be distributed to local charities.
The campaign has seen Aldi stores across the country pair directly with charity partners, with partnered charities able to visit their local Aldi store to pick up donated food daily for the duration of the campaign.
Some of the charities in Kerry that will feel this benefit include Killarney Community Services, Listowel Christian Fellowship, Novas Knocklee House and ADAPT Kerry Women’s Refuge.
Aldi’s partnership with FoodCloud has ensured charities around Kerry receive regular deliveries of excess food from Aldi stores. To date charities in Kerry have received over 91,000 meals from the partnership – equating to a saving of more than €115,000 for the charity partners involved.
Announcing the launch of the ‘Food For Good’ Christmas Campaign, co-founder of FoodCloud Aoibheann O’Brien said: “We are asking Aldi shoppers to help us in doing good for those in need across the country by donating in store. We have over 100 local charities partnered directly with Aldi stores across the country, ensuring the food donated will be going to those most in need in the community.”
The following non-perishable items are requested as donations to the ‘Food For Good’ Christmas Campaign:
.In front; Meabh, Majella and Maria O’Connell with Kathleen Collins of Recovery Haven and Carrie Anne Clifford of Hairworks after the girls had their hair cut for charity on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot Crean
A TRALEE mom and her two daughters were feeling a little lighter-headed on Wednesday evening after they had a large part of their hair cut off to help two great causes.
Majella O’Connell of O’Connell’s Pharmacy, and her two daughters Meabh and Maria had been growing their hair out for months after they decided to donate their locks to the “Little Princess Trust” who provide wigs for children and young people who have lost their own hair due to cancer treatment or other conditions.
In doing so, they also decided to raise some vital funds for the local Cancer Support Centre Recovery Haven Kerry. They started a gofundme page which has raised €585 so far, while more has been collected in donation buckets.
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Majella’s own brother passed away two years ago and used a cancer support centre in Waterford which gave him great support, so she decided to choose a similar facility in Tralee to help out.
The trio went to Hairworks Tralee Hair & Beauty on Wednesday where Carrie Anne Clifford chopped off a large part of their hair.
Majella said they are continuing the fundraising for another few weeks so if anyone hasn’t had a chance and would like to make a donation, they can do so in their collection buckets in O’Connell’s Pharmacy, St. Brendan’s Park, HairWorks Tralee Hair & Beauty and Tralee Medical Centre, or on the gofundme page by clicking here.
A BRITISH charity trekker has arrived in Kerry with a large blue double-decker bus as part of a 7,000 mile walk for cancer patients.
Brian Burnie has walked 3,607 miles around the coastline of Scotland, Cumbria, Lancashire, Merseyside, North Wales and Ireland.
This week, Brian Burnie, 75, has hiked to Tralee on his 7,000 mile walk around Britain and Ireland and the bus is parked up in the Bus Eireann station in town.
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The ex-millionaire gave it all away to start the North East based charity, ‘Daft a Brush CancerPatient Care’. The charity offers cancer patients free transport to and from hospital, who are undergoing Chemotherapy and / or Radiotherapy cancer treatment.
The charity provides 40,000 cancer patient journeys annually by a team of 350 volunteers and was set-up by Brian in 2010. He is walking 7,000 miles to take the service nationwide, his dream is to create 1,000,000 free cancer patient journeys.
Walking from Derry, Brian is thrilled with the support and encouragement from local people;
“I’ve had the pleasure of meeting so many incredible people, many with first-hand experience of cancer and the daily difficulties getting to and from hospital. Our recent meeting at University Hospital Galway with Oncologists and Radiographers was sopositive, I am very excited at the prospect of bringing the ‘Daft as a Brush’ Service to Ireland”.
Cheryl Burnie, Brian’s wife, has been supporting him from their mobile-base; a doubledecker bus called ‘Bluebell’. “Brian rarely complains but his challenge has been difficult. Poor weather can create unforgiving conditions.
Walking 15-20 miles a day would be a testing trial for anyone, but Brian is coping with Parkinson’s disease. It is common to become easily tired during walking, even after short distances, but he is so determined to complete his 7,000 mile mission, I am so very proud of him”.
Brian and Cheryl have been on the road since March 5, 2018, with Bluebell Bus. Married on the Isle of Skye they’re celebrating their first wedding anniversary this month!
‘Bluebell’ has been kindly accommodated by Bus Éireann at various depots throughout the island of Ireland. Ronan Tully, Head of engineering; “When we first heard about Brian’s walk for cancer patients, we wanted to offer our support. The team at Bus Éireann are delighted to help in anyway we can and we wish Brian and Cheryl all the best on their incredible challenge.”
Brian is walking to Tralee, around the coast to Cork and back to Dublin for mid-September. His walk will then continue through Wales, the South Coast and back to the North East by Christmas 2020. He will notch-up around 2,000 miles walked around the island of Ireland and a total of over 7,000 on completion.
But Brian will be sad to leave Ireland; “The walk has been absolutely stunning in Ireland. I never knew the Western Coast was so spectacular – I’m looking forward to walking the beautiful headlands of county Kerry. The ‘Daft as a Brush’ concept has been really well received in Ireland, I am determined to highlight the difficult transport issues cancer patients cope with throughout their treatment.”
With further appointments with Oncologists and medical professionals in Ireland, Brian’s dream of creating 1,000,000 cancer patient journeys is taking shape, one step at a time.
You can follow Brian’s walk and discover more at www.bluebellbus.org.uk
Learn more about Daft as a Brush Cancer Patient Care at www.daftasabrush.org.uk
.Woodies staff looking forward to a month of fundraising. From left; Josephine Patwell, Sean Kerins, Gary McCormack, Paul O’Sullivan, Pierce Owens, Edward O’Connor, Dean Reidy and Mary Murphy. Photo by Dermot Crean
WOODIES staff in Tralee are once again pulling out all the stops for their annual summer fundraising campaign.
Woodie’s Tralee are doing their part in the nationwide Woodie’s Hero’s 2019 campaign which takes place during July/August.
Four charities — Child Line, Temple Street Hospital, Hand in Hand and Autism Assistant Dogs Ireland — will benefit and all funds raised will be divided equally.
Staff at Woodies in Tralee are again planning some exciting events to raise funds including a fantastic instore Monster Prize Draw, and a Table Quiz in O’Donnell’s in Mounthawk to take place this Friday, July 26.
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They are hoping for a big crowd with tables of four €40 with some fantastic spot prizes are promised and finger food.
They’ll also be holding an instore Cycling Challenge for the next four Saturdays with donation buckets for anyone who would like to help the charities.
There will also be a donation till where people can contribute and a bric a brac sale on the August Bank Holiday weekend. It sounds like a great campaign to get behind over the next month.
.A special team of Tesco elves made a surprise visit to Temple Street this week to make sure that every little Temple Street hero was given their very own Cedric teddy bear. Pictured is Anthony Iannucci (centre), aged 11 with Tesco colleagues Lar Mooney, Aileen Keogh, Clair O’Donnell, Liz Barlow & Sophie Ryan. Photo Chris Bellew / Fennells
TESCO has announced that due to popular demand, Cedric teddy bears will be available in Tesco stores in Tralee and nationwide from Saturday, December 1 for €5 in aid of Temple Street Children’s University Hospital.
As seen on ‘The Late Late Toy Show’ last night, the tale of Cedric being lost in a Tesco store and becoming a Service Superstar, has captured the hearts and minds of many, with customers and colleagues seeking a Cedric of their own.
The good news is that Tesco customers and colleagues can now get their very own Cedric from Saturday, while stocks last. Each Cedric purchased will help Tesco reach their target of raising €4million in 4 years for the children’s hospital.
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Cedric was brought to life with the help of five-year-old Temple Street patient Lewis Evans from Co. Donegal, who participated in a Tesco colouring competition during a visit to the hospital and won the honour of naming this very special bear.
To celebrate the launch of the Cedric teddy bears, a special team of Tesco elves made a surprise visit to Temple Street this week to make sure that every little Temple Street hero was given their very own Cedric teddy bear.
This weekend, Tesco stores across the country will be hosting Festive Fun Days over the weekend of Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd December, selling Cedric teddy bears, hosting cake sales, offering face painting and much more all in aid of Temple Street.
Since 2014, with the support of its colleagues and customers Tesco Ireland has raised €3.9 million for Temple Street. By selling Cedric in stores and hosting these Festive Fun Days, Tesco is aiming to reach over €4 million raised in 4 years for the little heroes of Temple Street.
.The Garda and HSE teams which took part in Friday night’s fundraiser.
A SPECIAL game of soccer was held on Friday night in the John Mitchels GAA Grounds for a great cause.
Members of the HSE Mental Health Services staff took on a team of local gardaí in aid of the Palliative Care Unit at UHK.
It was also held in support of the 12-strong ‘The Pedal Herd’ cycle group, made up mainly of HSE staff, which will leave Mizen Head in Cork on Tuesday, August 28, and arrive in Malin Head, Co. Donegal on Saturday, September 1.
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The group are holding a number of fundraising activities and all funds raised will be divided equally between Kerry and Donegal Palliative Care Centres.
The game on Friday was hotly contested and ended in a very sporting 2 -2 draw. Well done to all involved.
The Garda team who took part in Friday night’s fundraiser.The HSE team who took part in Friday night’s fundraiser.
.Shannon Quinlan from Balllyduff with the lock of hair which was cut off at Changes Hair and Beauty Salon in Listowel.
A THIRD class pupil decided to do something special on Friday, when she got her long hair cut off in aid of the Little Princess Trust charity…and she raised over €800 as well!
Nine-year-old Shannon Quinlan from Ballyduff decided to get the hair cut after seeing how a relative of hers lost her hair a few years ago after being treated for illness.
The Little Princess Trust is a children’s cancer charity, who work with suppliers and hairdressers to offer real hair wigs, tailored to individual children suffering with cancer across the UK and Ireland.
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Shannon, who attends Sliabh a’ Mhadra NS in the north Kerry village, went to Tralee native Danny Russell’s Changes Hair and Beauty Salon in Listowel on Friday afternoon and after chopping off the long lock of hair, he decided to give her a new hairdo which she loves.
Shannon’s parents William and Sheila are immensely proud of her, with good reason. It was such a thoughtful thing to do, so well done Shannon.
.Robert O’Mahony is organising a great fundraiser for early next month. Photo by Dermot Crean
A TRALEE man is preparing for a trip to Africa in February to work for an Irish charity which helps both sexually abused and trafficked children and he’s organising a fundraising ‘Sunday drive’ next month to raise funds for the project.
Kerry’s Eye photographer Robert O’Mahony, who now lives in Cloghane in west Kerry, travelled with the Ray Of Sunshine Foundation in 2016 and helped with housing for affected children in Mombasa, Kenya.
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He is hoping people take part in the ‘Steer To The Pier’ on Sunday, September 3, which is a drive from the Aquadome, over Bóthar Na gCloc, on to Inch Beach, then Dingle, over the Conor Pass and arriving at Brandon Pier.
There, participants will enjoy a barbecue and can watch the All-Ireland hurling final. Robert is also advising people to bring their fishing gear or a wetsuit for a dive off the pier!
The cost is only €20 per car and this includes food and a scenery photograph. The drive starts at 11am from the Aquadome.
Robert pays for his own flights and expenses in Kenya, so all monies raised will go towards building a rescue centre for trafficked children in the African country.
You can contact Robert for more details on 087-7722115 or by email romphotography@eircom.net or go online to www.rayofsunshine.ie to learn more about the charity.
A COFFEE/FASHION morning will be held at a popular Tralee shop for a great cause this Friday morning.
Eileen Whelan of Paco on The Mall has organised the event to raise awareness of the annual Jamie Wrenn/Mike Deane walk which takes place in July.
From 11am to 1pm, there’ll be teas, coffees and scones as well as a fashion show for ladies attending. The fashion store has hosted a number of similar successful events in the past which have raised cash for great causes.
Sponsorship cards for the walk, which takes place on July 22 from Tralee to Castlegregory this year to raise much needed funds for Recovery Haven cancer support house, will be at the store and donations will be taken on the morning for those who wish to contribute.
.Ciara Moriarty and Eilish O’Brien at the Charity Yoga Class in the Town Park on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot Crean
THE Town Park was the beautiful setting for a charity lunchtime yoga class on Wednesday. as over 30 people put down their mats for a spot of relaxation and exercise.
Maeve Ferris of Ebb And Flow Yoga, was behind the idea and explained how it came about.
“Today is International Yoga Day and it’s also the Summer Solstice, so it’s an important day in the Yoga calendar,” said Maeve, who teaches yoga in classes in various venues in town.
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“I do some work with Sera Husky Rescue and Adapt Women’s refuge, so they are two charities close to my heart. I wanted to do something outdoors so I decided to do a class for charity on such an important day,” said Maeve.
Hugh Culloty’s supplied the mic and speaker for the day and stationery was provided by Manor West Hotel. The Ashe Hotel offered to provide a space for the class if the weather turned bad.
Luckily though, it stayed dry and people enjoyed a relaxing session before many headed back to work. For more on Maeve Ferris’ yoga classes check out her Facebook page hereScroll down for photos…
Breda Quirke, Mary Moran and Neasa Ní Mhoráin at the Charity Yoga Class in the Town Park on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot Crean.Josephine and Gemma O’Shea at the Charity Yoga Class in the Town Park on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot CreanMaeve Ferris who organised the Charity Yoga Class in the Town Park on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot Crean.People taking part in the Charity Yoga Class in the Town Park on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot Crean
.Looking forward to the ‘Rags To The Runway’ event at Ballyroe Heights Hotel on March 11 were Mike Ryle (Ballyroe Heights Hotel), Helena Slattery (ADAPT), Maeve Carey (model), Grace Madden (model), Danny Leane (stylist), Claire Murphy (stylist), Ray Stack of Ray Stack Promotions, Aine Wall (stylist), Rebecca Kemp (stylist), Eileen Whelan (stylist), Hannah Lenihan (model) and John Brosnan (Ballyroe Heights Hotel). Photo by Dermot Crean
KERRY’S top stylists will do battle at a fantastic charity event next month which is a must for fashion lovers.
‘Rags To The Runway’, which takes place at the Ballyroe Heights Hotel on Saturday, March 11, is a unique fashion event for anyone with an interest in thrift shopping, vintage clothes and fashion in general. What’s more, all proceeds made on the night will go to charity.
Eight stylists have the challenge of creating a five outfit collection all from charity shops. The looks will be worn by professional models, the audience vote for the best collection unaware as to who’s behind the collection and those present will have the opportunity to purchase any looks after the show.
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The profits from the show will go to the following seven charities which are Adapt Tralee; Sue Ryder Foundation; SVP Tralee; Kingdom Care (the Mart) Tralee; NCBI Edward St Tralee; The Cancer Society shop Tralee and Enable Ireland Shop Tralee.
The stylists involved each have their own flair for fashion and are well know throughout the county. They are Claire Murphy of Expose Beauty, Danny Leane of Annburys, Eileen Whelan of Paco, Aine Wall, Rebecca Kemp from Rose of Tralee, Orlagh Winters MC & Style Guru, Laura MacSweeny, Blogger & stylist and Jill Hannon of Hannons Castleisland.
The evening will consist of a champagne reception and a the second half of the night will be a fashion show, showcasing the top boutiques across Kerry. The winner will then be revealed and there will be an amazing after party.
For a chance to win tickets to the event go to the ‘Rags To The Runway Facebook page or purchase them for €20 through any of the previously mentioned charity shops.
Seated; stylists Claire Murphy, Rebecca Kemp, Danny Leane, Aine Wall and Eileen Whelan. Standing; models Hannah Lenihan, Grace Madden and Maeve Carey. Photo by Dermot Crean.
.Mary Lynch with her daughters Emer O’Mahony and Caroline Lucey and granddaughter Fiadh, with copies of the Spailpin CD. Photo by Dermot Crean
POPULAR trad band Spailpin are set to launch a retrospective of their work at the start of next month and they’re helping out a great cause in the process.
Mary Lynch is trying to raise €20,000 for 10 new chemotherapy chairs for the unit at University Hospital Kerry and the band have given her copies of her new CD, priced €10, with all funds raised from sales on the launch night on Friday, December 2 in The Ashe Hotel, going towards her campaign.
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“They have a big line-up of bands for the night and all the takings for the night are going towards the campaign. It’s just €5 admission,” said Mary.
Acts playing on the night of the launch of ‘Then And Now 1980-2016’ include PJ Murrihy, Clann Nua, Danny Goggin and more surprise guests. For fans of trad and folk music it should be a great night.
.Nicola O’Callaghan (right) of the Business Development Team at TLI Group, presents the proceeds of a charity climb to Helena Biddy, Corporate Development Manager at Temple Street Children’s Hospital.
A MOUNTAIN climb held by workers at an Abbeydorney-based company raised over €10,000 for Temple Street Children’s Hospital.
On Monday, Nicola O’Callaghan of the Business Development Team at TLI Group, handed the cheque for €10,081 to Helena Bibby, Corporate Development Manager, at Temple Street Hospital who thanked the company for their efforts.
The group of 19 workers from TLI climbed Carrauntoohil on Saturday, August 27. At the beginning of the year, the staff of TLI Group voted Temple Street to be one of the company’s chosen charities to support throughout 2016.
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In addition to the company’s charitable donations of €5,000 to the hospital at the start of the year, their employees also held a bake sale and took part in the VHI Women’s Mini Marathon which raised €1,270.
The climb was a huge success and brought total funds raised by the company for Temple Street this year to over €16,000. Well done to all involved.
.Launching Cassidy’s Retaurant’s ‘Dine in the Dark’ fundraiser were staff at the restaurant, from left: Martina Ryan Murphy, Geraldine Cassidy, Mags Fitzgerald and Steve Trew. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
DINERS are invited to take part in a fun night whilst dining blindfolded in order to raise much-needed funds for the National Council for The Blind Ireland (NCBI)
Cassidy’s Restaurant on Abbey Street is taking part in ‘Dine In The Dark’ for NCBI this November and it’s being promoted by one of Ireland’s top chefs, Neven Maguire.
“I, along with head chef Steve Trew and staff, am delighted to be part of this fun night,” said owner of Cassidy’s Restaurant, Geraldine Cassidy.
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“We eat with our eyes mostly, and now is a chance to experience dining through taste and smell. It will also show us what it’s like to cope with visual impairment and sight loss when doing normal tasks,” said Geraldine.
“Diners will be guided to their seats and presented with delicious food which they hopefully will have fun eating and talking about with their fellow diners,” she said.
All monies raised on the night will go to NCBI.
Cassidy’s Restaurant Dine In The Dark event will take place on Monday, November 7 starting at 7pm. Tickets are €25, and can be purchased at the restaurant. Booking is essential as places are limited. Call 066-7128833.
.Manager of Peter Mark Tralee, Michelle O’Shea, Joanne Riordan, and Lorraine O’Gorman looking forward to the Petermarkathon in aid of Women’s Aid from October 27-29. Photo by Dermot Crean
THE people at Peter Mark hair salon in Tralee are looking forward to pyjama parties, bake sales and fancy dress fun next weekend for their Petermarkathon fundraiser.
The team at Abbey Court will join their colleagues all over the country from Thursday, October 27 to Saturday, October 29 to raise funds for Women’s Aid and specifically contribute to keeping their much needed 24 hour helpline going, providing support to women and children in crisis.
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Peter Mark Tralee manager, Michelle O’Shea, is looking forward to welcoming customers into the salon for the fun few days.
“Thursday we’re going to have a pyjama day and a bake sale with lots of nice treats. We’re going to have in-house games with prizes and raffles. On Friday we’re having a work-out day and then on Saturday we’re going to have a fancy dress, with prizes for the best costume among staff. It’s a great cause and hopefully we’ll raise a lot of money,” said Michelle.
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Last October, the Tralee store helped in raising €60,000 for the charity Aware through the party weekend and they hope the public will be just as generous this year.
Women’s Aid is the leading domestic violence organisation in the Republic of Ireland which runs the only national, free, domestic violence 24-Hour Helpline with a text service for deaf women and an interpretation service which provides support to women in over 170 languages.
In 2016, despite a funding cut of 20%, Women’s Aid expanded their National Helpline to become a 24-hour service. Each day, they answer approximately 41 calls from women experiencing abuse from current or former husbands, partners and boyfriends.
The National Helpline is free of charge to callers in the Republic of Ireland. See www.petermark.ie. For more information about Women’s Aid, see www.womensaid.ie.
AN evening of fashion, fun and awareness will take place this coming Thursday in Benners Hotel, Tralee, for a great cause.
The event, “Think Pink, Think Positive”, in aid of Breast Cancer Research is an evening for ladies, by ladies with some inspiration. Guest speakers on the night include Maria Walsh and Daily Diva Diary founder Helen Quealy-Murphy.
There will be a little bit of fashion, fun and it is all in aid of this very worthy cause.
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Over 2,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in Ireland and thankfully with the breakthroughs in research there are a lot more survivors.
One such survivor is Orlagh Winters who will be playing the role of MC for this special evening.
The evening will feature style from award winning designer Rebekah Wall which will be showcased along with fashion house, Hannons in Castleisland. Vintage and pre-loved style will be from Goose Boutique Tralee.
There will also be some festive jewellery style from Billy Nolans & Hilsers, Louise Nolan will talk guests through the trends for Christmas 2016.
Tickets are available to purchase in Benners Hotel, Goose Boutique and Hannons. All the support is greatly appreciated and 100% of the proceeds will go Breast Cancer Research.
.Staff from Woodies Tralee who are taking part in the Woodies Heroes charity campaign at the Manor West store. Photo by Gavin O’Connor
WOODIE’S in Manor West Retail Park, Tralee has launched its 2016 Heroes Campaign, as part of a nationwide campaign to raise much needed funds for Ireland’s major children’s charities.
Each Saturday for the month of August, Woodie’s employees in Manor West Retail Park Tralee will team-up and take turns cycling on static bicycles in-store to demonstrate the proactive enthusiasm they share for reaching their fund-raising goal.
Donation buckets will be made available for customers who would like to show their support in the store. In partnership with Make a Wish Ireland along with Temple Street Children’s Hospital, Jack and Jill and Irish Autism Action, Woodie’s hopes to raise €200,000 over four weeks.
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Customers will also be given the opportunity to donate €1 at the tills to the Woodie’s Heroes campaign.
Woodie’s Heroes will culminate in an All-Ireland cycle ride on August 26th, where two cycling teams will take on the challenge of travelling 1,500km over five days to collect fundraising cheques from each of Woodie’s 36 stores nationwide. Bryan Enright will be representing the Tralee store again this year.
Tadhg O’Regan, Store Manager, Woodie’s Tralee also commented: “We are excited to get started on 2016’s campaign and reach our fund raising goal. It’s an honour to work with our chosen charity partners and we take pride in helping them to continue providing their invaluable resources to children across the country.”
For further information on Woodie’s Heroes visit your local Woodie’s in Manor West Retail Park Tralee or visit www.facebook.com/WoodiesIE Join the conversation on twitter @WoodiesIreland, #WoodiesHeroes.
KERRY people are invited to vote for their favourite charity so that they’re in with a chance of sharing in £120,000 to be given away over 12 days next month.
TESCO staff in Tralee and around the country are dressing up to help raise awareness and funds for CHI at Temple Street this Halloween.
