DundalkSub Aqua fund-raising effort goes on line
Dundalk Sub Aqua Club were forced to move their fund-raising on-line due to the increased COVID-19 restrictions. Club members had been due to hold their annual bucket collection on New Year’s Eve in the town centre but had to call it off due to the increased COVID-19 restrictions.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the club. Its Search & Rescue (SAR) unit was set up in 2003 and is operated by local volunteers to serve the community, with 25 highly trained volunteer SAR divers responding 24 - 7 to calls for missing persons, searching the seas and inland waterways.
The SAR unit collaborate with the Gardaí, Coast Guard, RNLI, Civil Defence and PSNI to provide significant levels of support to searches in the North East on both sides of the border, and where necessary nationwide.
To support this vital work, they are raising funds for the refurbishment of storage facilities for boats and other essential safety equipment. These funds are essential to the SAR Unit, and are used to maintain and upgrade SAR diving, navigation, compressor and medical first responder equipment to aid efficient searches and ensure the safety of SAR volunteers.
Dundalk Sub Aqua Club receives no state funding and relies entirely on self funding, donations and fundraising to maintain SAR equipment and operations. The unit would not be operating without the generosity of those who donated to this worthy cause through the years.
Their newest boat, delivered in August 2019 was part-funded by the generosity of the people of Dundalk through previous years’ bucket collection, has already been used in a number of extensive search and recovery operations.
To donate, check out Dundalk Sub Aqua - Search & Rescue Unit on GoFundMe.