Recovery Haven to benefit from major fundraising night

IT might be five and a half weeks away, but the organising committee want the message out right now about a major benefit meeting at Tralee Track on Saturday, October 29.

It’s not on the lines of the big one every year for Kerry University Hospital (what benefit meeting is?), but the cause is a similarly worthy one, being in aid of that marvellous support unit for cancer patients in Tralee they call Recovery Haven.

Recovery Haven is situated in the Killerisk area of the town (5 Haig’s Terrace, to be precise) and it offers support to not alone those living with cancer but also their families and carers.

According to Maureen O’Brien, of the organising committee, the services provided by Recovery Haven include complimentary therapies, support groups, information evenings, exercise classes, one-to-one counselling for adults, adolescents and children and a drop-in listening service – all absolutely free of charge.

The support house is run primarily on a voluntary basis supported by two staff – a nurse/ manager and administrator.

There is hardly any need to stress how valuable a place such as Recovery Haven has become for those living with cancer and support for the October 29 benefit meeting comes with the strongest possible recommendation from this column.

According to Tom O’Connor, that great Ballyheigue doggy (and GAA), man, who is head salesman at Kellihers Toyota, Tralee, and who is also a member of the organising committee, the hope is that the benefit meeting will raise €20,000.

“We have ten race sponsors already, with Kellihers the main sponsor, and we are hoping to sell a lot of admission tickets all over the county,” said Tom.

“At this stage, we are actually looking for people to sell tickets for us and it would be great if there was a positive response to that request. Maureen O’Brien is the person to contact.”

There will, surely, be people out there who will answer Tom O’Connor’s call and, if there are, Maureen O’Brien’s mobile ‘phone number is 086 3612912.

Racing-wise, the feature event on the night will be the final of an A1 525 sweepstake sponsored by Kellihers Toyota and the connections of greyhounds running on the night will be very pleased to know that €100 to €150 will be added to the prizemoney for every race.

Frequently, sponsorship for races on benefit nights, multiple sponsorship in some cases, is not reflected in the prize money and it is great that this particular meeting will see a change to this pattern.

The night, it should be added, will have a big emphasis on family entertainment, with face-painting, a bouncy castle and a competition for the best Halloween costume. There will also be a best-dressed lady competition, plus music after racing.

Admission tickets cost €10 and every one of those tenners will be used well. The people at Recovery Haven will make sure of that.