Sunday August 27th, 2017

‘I never thought we could raise so much money but we did it’

IT’S incredible to think that a personal hobby that consists of collecting and viewing vintage machinery could end raising over €90,000 for Kerry cancer support services – and there’s every reason to believe this sum will soon exceed €100,000.

Denis Tangney is a man who knows all about cancer having both battled and been bereaved by it during his lifetime. He knows more than most the physical and emotional turmoil cancer causes which is why Denis and his friend, Mike McKenna, decided to turn their hobby into a money raising exercise for a great cause.

“My personal story with cancer is well known by now and I know all about what it takes to fight it which is why I decided to do something to help others going through the same battle,” explained Denis.

The beneficiaries of the Mid Kerry Vintage Rally are the Oncology Unit in Kerry University Hospital, Recovery Heaven, and the cancer ward at St Joseph’s in Killorglin - all three of whom are extremely grateful to Denis and team for the generous donations that are put to great use helping people, something Denis is extremely proud of.

“I do feel proud as the first year we ran the Rally we thought it would run at a loss, and yet here we are on the verge exceeding €100,000. I never thought we could do it but we did. It’s a great achievement. In my area of Castlemaine alone a lot of people suffer from cancer and we’re just trying to do our best to help. The cancer support services in Kerry are very grateful and without the help of charities such as ours many of them couldn’t continue, which isn’t right in one sense,” Denis added.