Get out and stretch the legs on walk for Hope

THE annual Hope Guatemala walk, which takes place this Sunday, will give people an opportunity to stretch their legs on the road from Dingle to Ventry and at the same time help impoverished indigenous communities in the highlands of the Central American republic of Guatemala.

The walk/run, which is a well-supported annual event for the small charity that is rooted in West Kerry, starts from the Grey’s Lane Bistro at 2.30pm on Sunday, April 22, and ends nearly 10km and about 90 minutes later at Páidí Ó Sé’s pub in Ventry.

As per normal, a tortilla party will be laid on to feed the famished in Páidí’s and those with energy to spare will be able to get up and dance to the jazz/funk music of Riona Madigan and Mattie & Ben (Barker and Janning) who are the Ventry-born guitar and bass players, respectively, from Strange Attractor.

Participation in the walk costs €10 per individual or €20 for a family and anybody who doesn’t feel like a walk, but would like to help the cause, is very welcome to make a donation at the Grey’s Lane Bistro.

All the money raised from the walk will go straight – and that means without management or administration costs – into Hope Guatemala’s work in the highlands of Guatemala. Since 2005 the small, volunteer-based charity, has helped provide food, water, housing, education and medical aid for the oppressed Mayan people. They are currently working on building a health centre in San Pedro, near the border with El Salvador, so that pregnant local women will no longer have to walk 50km for basic medical care.

Donations can also be made to Hope Guatemala via AIB Dingle. Account: Hope Guatemala. Account number: 05986062. IBAN : IE50 AIBK 9362 8605 9860 62. BIC/SWIFT : AIBKIE2D.

The charity can be contacted at: Hope Guatemala, Ireland ltd. Charity Number: CHY 17894. P.O.Box 16. Ventry. Co. Kerry.