Tag Archives: charity

CLARE people are being urged to get on their bike on Friday September 10, World Suicide Prevention Day, to raise awareness and funds for suicide prevention. Cycle Against Suicide are inviting local communities to join its “Bike4Life: One Day – One Goal”. Held annually, Bike4Life is part of the fundraising effort of Cycle Against Suicide, an organisation dedicated to greater public awareness and community-based assistance for individuals at risk. “If you or someone you know needs help, reach out. Speaking up to a trusted person about depression, suicide or grief is the first step to saving a life,” Caroline Lafferty, Cycle Against Suicide CEO stated. “The risk of suicide is heightened when people are not able to talk about their mental health challenges to others. Very often men and women at risk feel they have no one to talk to about suicidal thoughts and the conditions that cause them.” To combat the stigma, shame and fear around mental health that …

A KILLALOE woman has taken on an incredible challenge of completing a 250km triathlon within 24 hours in aid of two charities. On August 28, 27-year-old Jade Hoynes will be embark on the gruelling test which will consist of a 4km swim of Lough Derg, a 200km cycle, finally finishing off with a 46km run. The demanding undertaking is to raise funds and awareness for two charities that are incredibly important to both Jade and her family, Samaritans Ireland and Sejare Adult Respite House, Limerick. Jade, who works within her family business Palm Free Irish Soap had previously taken part in RTÉ’s Iron Mind series with Niall ‘Bressie’ Breslin. The series enlisted the help of experts in everything from psychology to nutrition as four ordinary people with their own mental health challenges took on the task of competing in a half-Ironman event. It was this event that encouraged her to take on this newest triathlon challenge. Jade recalls her first …

A CLARE mother is preparing to face her fears by jumping out of a plane thousands of feet in the air to raise money for a charity close to her family’s heart. Jane Quinn, who lives in Sixmilebridge, will be doing a tandem sky-dive in aid of My Canine Companion, an Irish charity providing accredited service dogs to people with disabilities, predominantly autism. The family have seen first hand the positive benefits of a service dog having recently welcomed puppy Woody into the life of daughter Zoe, who was diagnosed with autism at four years of age. Jane is hoping that by doing the sky-dive she will be able to raise enough funds for the charity so that another family can experience the “life changing” effects of having a service dog. Jane is aiming to raise €10,000 from the sky-dive which is set to take place in Kilkenny this Friday, July 30. She admits she is “absolutely terrified” of flying, so why get …

A WELL known Ennis estate agent has made his own move to raise much needed funds for charity. Last Saturday Diarmuid McMahon, of Sherry Fitzgerald McMahon, took the plunge and swam from Clare to Galway, across Galway Bay, in aid of Cancer Care West. The former chair of Ennis Chamber has raised almost €2,500 for the charity, with funds still being donated. Speaking to the Champion, Diarmuid described the response to the fundraiser as “phenomenal” and he has expressed his appreciation to everybody who has shown support. His solo togs swim was part of this year’s virtual Frances Thornton Galway Bay Swim which over the years has raised more than €900,000 for Cancer Care West. The funds raised are used to help meet the costs of residential and cancer support services, which are provided free of charge to cancer patients and their families. This is the 16th year of the annual swim, which would normally see 150 people cross the …

THE Cliffs of Moher welcomed some very special guests on Friday with the arrival of two Dublin teenagers who had just completed a mammoth journey. Friends Scott Ward and Derek O’Brien reached the cliffs after walking for six days from Coolock in Dublin, 250km, for charity. The pair had been sharing their journey across social media, touching the nation with their epic endeavour and raising more than €70,000 to date. Arriving at the Cliffs of Moher the 19-year-olds paid tribute to all who came to welcome them saying, “Thank you all so much for coming to the cliffs yesterday in the rain. It was an absolute pleasure seeing everybody and I can’t thank you all enough for the experience.” The youngsters had raised the funds for Abacas Kilbarrack Special School, where Scott’s cousin Lucas attends. “I know the amazing work they do each time I see Lucas in his progression. This school is amazing and I wanted to say thank …

MEMBERS of the Clare Ladies Cycling Club are attempting to cycle a combined total of 50,000km over the summer, to raise funds for Sláinte an Chláir. “We did a couch to 50k, just before Easter. The idea was that everyone would be back on the bike for the summer. I suppose it was like a prequel to what we’re doing with Sláinte an Chláir, we’re hoping to cycle 50,000km between us over 16 weeks and to raise funds,” said chairperson Eilis Neville. “Forty-five of us have signed up for it out of a club of 91, which is pretty good going,” Eilis added. Members cycle in small groups twice a week, and there are a couple of women abroad who are helping to get the kilometres up. “On a Wednesday night we would cycle a max of 40km, we leave Ennis around 6.45. On a Sunday we offer three routes, a short route of around 40km, a middling route of …

THE skin on his hands may be sore and blistered, but for Michael Casey it has all been worth it. The Ennis man has raised more than €10,000 for the ISPCC’s Childline by recently completing 100 pull ups every day for 100 days. And on his final day, he decided to make the challenge even more difficult by doing 800 pull-ups, including 300 with added weights. He explains that he chose to do 800 reps on his final day to represent the 800 children and young people who contact Childline every day. He took on 500 pull ups using his own body weight, another 200 with 10kg attached, 80 more with 20kg and his last 20 reps with 25kg attached. Speaking to the Clare Champion after completing the mammoth endeavour he says, “That was tough, by the end of it I was just doing two reps at a time. Physically that was the hardest part of the whole thing. “I’d …

A CLARE woman is calling on people throughout the county to go the distance and register to do a virtual GOAL Mile this Christmas to support the world’s most vulnerable communities. The appeal has come from Muireann Lohan, after GOAL announced that the traditional GOAL Mile will be going virtual this year due to Covid-19 restrictions. For the past number of years thousands of people all over Clare have turned out in their communities and parishes every Christmas to walk, run or jog a GOAL Mile. Funds raised go towards supporting GOAL’s work in 13 countries in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. According to Muireann, who has been a GOAL Mile organiser for years, it is more vital than ever that people support the GOAL Mile this year. “Whilst this Christmas we are all being asked to keep apart due to Covid-19, we can still stand together for GOAL by registering to complete a virtual GOAL Mile. Whether it’s …