It’s a hole-in-one for Dee’s special fundraiser
THERE were a few hairy moments when the weather threatened to rain on the parade of Tralee’s Dee Lyons and the fundraising event she had dubbed ‘ The Great Golf Ball Release Tralee’. But, thankfully, the dry weather held out and the event was hailed a huge success, raising €2,000 in the day and helping Dee to reach her total target of €3,000.
Dee, who has been selected to travel to Austria as a volunteer with Team Ireland in the Special Olympics World Winter Games campaign in March, organised the event to help with the fundraising costs of the trip and she was delighted with how the day played out.
“I honestly couldn’t be happier with how the event went and the amount of money that we made for Special Olympics Ireland; it was a very windy and cold day but that merely added to the excitement of the rolling golf balls. We’d just like to extend our sincerest thanks to everyone who braved the cold and wind to be there and Tralee Golf Club for their support” Dee told The Kerryman on Tuesday.
“I am pretty much there now with all of the fundraising which is a fantastic relief,” she finished.
The day saw Dee rolling a collection of numbered golf balls, paid for and chosen by members of the public, on the practice greens of the Tralee Golf club with the ball that landed closest to the pin being the winner; Fred Garvey was the lucky and generous person chosen on the day and he proved his kindness by donating his €500 prize back into the fundraising pot.
Second place on the day went to Claire Molloy who opted for the €250 voucher while third place went to Aoife Lyons who opted for the round of golf at the golf club, but who must first make her way back from America.
Dee will be amongst 100 other volunteers heading to the Games, has been actively involved with the Special Olympics over the past few years and this will be her third trip to the games as a volunteer having worked at the Summer Games in Los Angeles last year and in Athens five years previously.