Massive Gorey fundraiser the feature of DVD
A MAMMOTH fundraising effort thirteen years ago, which saw locals raise a remarkable €100,000 to build an orphanage in Vukovar, Croatia, has been immortalised in a DVD which has finally seen the light of day.
‘Vukovar: the extra mile’, which documents the fundraising efforts by sixteen locals, as they prepared to run a marathon, will be shown for the first time on Tuesday, January 24, at 8 p.m. in Breen’s Bar, Pearse Street, Gorey.
Kevin Leacy, who founded Bosnia Refugee Aid in 1993, in response to the devastating Balkans War, came across the plight of the people of Vukovar during one of his many visits to the region.
‘Vukovar was the first town destroyed in Croatia in the Balkans conflict in 1991,’ he said.
Kevin had made many trips to the region bringing medical aid, ambulances, and supplies. ‘On one of the visits, we were approached about the state of Vukovar. The town was levelled. People had evacuated or were living in derelict buildings,’ he said.
‘ They needed a day care centre and orphanage, and a medical centre, to feed the people who were starving, and to provide accommodation for the orphans who lost their parents or grandparents, and a social centre for people to come together,’ he added.
Sixteen locals, described as ‘ unfit’, decided to run a marathon in 2004 to raise €100,000 to build an orphanage in Vukovar. They spent six months training for the Dublin City Marathon with Tom Kavanagh, and their yellow t-shirts soon became a familiar sight on the roads around Gorey.
There was an overwhelming response to their appeal for sponsorship, and they raised enough money to bring to Vukovar on the anniversary of the bombing on November 14. ‘We ran the extra mile with the orphans and with the Croatian national marathon team,’ said Kevin. ‘ The President of Croatia also met us, which was unexpected.’
The orphanage was finished two years later and is home to 50 children and also acts as a centre for the local community.
The fundraising efforts, the training, the marathon, and the trip to Vukovar were filmed by Ger Leacy, and later edited by Sam Mahoney. Now, the DVD of the campaign has finally been released, and will be given a public airing in Breen’s on January 24. It features many familiar faces and is just an hour long.
‘ The whole community got behind us,’ said Kevin. ‘It was extraordinary. The evening is a way of paying tribute to the people who got out and helped. It was a phenomenal amount to raise in a small town. We actually raised €120,000, and the extra €20,000 went into buying ambulances and medical supplies in Bosnia.’
All are welcome along to what promises to be an enjoyable evening of sharing memories of a special time. Entry is free.