ATTEMPTTAKING PLACE ACROSS CORK WILL INVOLVE 660 ‘LADDER-CLIMBS’ THIS WEEKEND

ladder climbs will need to be done.

Steven O’Sullivan is a firefighter with 22 years experience and lives in Bottlehill in Burnfort. He has been instrumental in getting this unique fundraiser off the ground. When asked by The Corkman how did the idea come about, he said with a smile that he was at work in Cork one day and was speaking with his colleague, Ger Ryan. The duo noted how there are 220 firefighters in their region and they never get to meet up with their country based colleagues unless it is work related.

“We decided on this idea to invite everyone and get us all involved. Immediately, Johnny Madden, who is a fire-fighter in Mallow came on board and we set up a what’s app group and it just took off from there. All the fire-fighters have been unbelievable and the support which we are getting is phenomenal. We are blown away by the generosity. But as this is for ill children, it really strikes a chord with people,” he said.

He said it’s the first time in the history of the fire-fighters that both the city and country regions have merged as one. “The atmosphere is phenomenal as there are fire-fighters who are really giving it their all for this fund-raiser,” he said.

A huge amount of work has gone into the fundraiser as a risk management assessment must be completed on each wall in each town. Coupled, with that the what’s app message group has been gently pinging away at all hours of the day and night as the volunteers get the wheels in motion for the task ahead. Over the weekend there will be collection buckets on the day and in addition, the fundraiser is also selling Crucially, every single cent raised will go to the Cork City Hospitals Children’s Group. As fire-fighter, Johnny Madden said: “Every thing is accounted for and we are guaranteeing that all money raised will go where it destined for and that is for ill children.

“We want the children to have the best experience of their lives. We are all working very hard on this and we want to thank everyone who is supporting us, it means a lot.”

The fire-fighters are also selling limited edition tie pins of which there are seven in a box for €25, the pins feature the emergency services of the region.