The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
St Marys to host Hoops 4 Hospice
Next Saturday St. Mary’s Basketball club will host Hoops 4 Hospice, a 12-hour fundraising basketball marathon in memory of club member Joanne Walmsley (RIP). Joanne, who lost her battle with cancer last March, was well known locally and nationally as an impressive player and coach. Joanne played for her school, club, town, county and country, as well as playing national league with Lee Strand.
Hoops 4 Hospice will commence just before 8am on Saturday, Joanne’s former team, the club’s division two ladies take the early shift. The U-10 girls take over at 9am and several juvenile games have been arranged throughout the day. Our U-12 girls and U-18 boys will play St. Paul’s at 10am and 11am respectively, the U-12 division three girls take on Tralee Imperials at 12, our U-14 division one girls meet St. Paul’s at 3pm and our U-12 division one boys play St. Brendan’s at 4pm.
At 5pm the division two ladies return to the court to take on a guest team, made up of some of Joanne’s close friends and former club mates. Former Lee Strand players Mary T (Broderick) Cooper from Killorglin, Susan Bermingham from Clare and Noreen (Walmsley) Ferris and Irish team mate, Olivia (Canty) O’Rahilly. This team will be coached by John Teahan and Vinnie Murphy and both Sharon Roche and Mary Gardiner have kindly offered their time to ref.
The final game of the evening will see Team Tom McCarthy’s take on Tipperary Knights in the first Garvey’s Supervalu division one national league home game. This game tips off at 6.30pm and our U-12 division two girls will play during the half time interval. Joanne’s daughter Labhaoise is part of the national league team while her nieces will be part of the game at half time.
“Joanne was a great friend and club member, and she is hugely missed by everyone in the St. Mary’s so we are delighted to be able to do this in her memory,” said club chairman Eamon Egan.
We are encouraging as many people as possible to either call in during the day or to attend the games in the evening to support the event. There will be no admission fee but we will have a donation bucket at the venue throughout the day. Everyone who donates will be entered into a draw. We have two super prizes, Joe Hanley, The Happy Snapper, donated a season pass for Garvey’s Tralee Warriors home games to Hospice and this along with a season pass to our national league home games will be drawn at half time in the national league game.
Club PRO Liz Galwey said “Joanne wore the number four on the court which is where Hoops 4 Hospice came about. As a club you find that you are very often looking for funds, on this occasion it is good to be given something back in her name.”
All proceeds from the day will be presented to the Castleisland fundraising branch of Kerry Hospice and go directly toward the ongoing cost of the inpatients unit at UHK which was a fantastic support to Joanne and her family. The Kerry Hospice Foundation must raise €400,000 each year for the first five years to pay for the running costs of the unit; this is in addition to the €100,000 provided by the foundation for the Home Care services.
Team Tom McCarthy’s St. Mary’s meet Tipperary Knights in their first National League home game on Saturday in Castleisland at 6.30pm.
In the Under-20 Women’s Hoola Hoops Cup St. Mary’s take on Waterford in Castleisland is 8.15pm.