HOPES HIGH
THERE was a wonderfully positive atmosphere at Enniscorthy Credit Union last week as this year’s Hope & Dream 10 was officially launched.
At this year’s launch, The Enniscorthy Guardian along with the rest of The People Newspaper Group were delighted to officially come on board as official media partners for what has become one of the biggest fundraising events of its kind in the South East.
As always, the 2018 event will benefit The Hope Cancer Support Centre and this year it was decided to share the money raised with two other charities, namely Wexford Hospice Homecare, who have been on board for the past two years, and Friends of Wexford General Hospital’s ‘MRI Now’ campaign.
This year’s event will take place on Sunday, April 8, and the organisers were delighted to announce that the website had officially gone live for people to begin registering.
As people took their seats, Race Director Michael Jordan pointed out a clothesline with six different Hope & Dream t-shirts for six years.
‘As you can see, the first t-shirt has no date,’ he said. ‘That’s because the organisers initially thought this would be a one-off event. From year two there’s a date and year on it and the rest is history.’
In the past six years, Hope & Dream has raised a total of €828,194 for The Hope Cancer Support Centre and partner charities.
This year, organisers are hoping they can attract the biggest number of participants yet and maybe even pass the €1 million mark. ‘It’s not bad for what started out as a little event,’ said Michael.
‘The people of Enniscorthy and Wexford should be very proud. As well as the fundraising, it takes a crowd of around 200 people to put this show on the road in terms of marshalling, registration, gardaí...all of these people give their time to help those who need it and it’s a wonderful atmosphere.’
Chairperson of The Hope Centre, Una Doherty once again thanked both Michael Jordan and Denise McDonald, without whom she said the event simply would not happen. Speaking on behalf of Wexford Hospice Homecare, Eamonn Mernagh said that they were over the moon to have been asked to stay on as one of the charities involved this year. He said that every year Hospice needed to raise €450,000 in voluntary donations just to keep the show on the road.
‘It’s almost unbelievable that that’s what it takes,’ he said. ‘But that’s what needs to be done and that’s what the people of Wexford do for us. Hope & Dream is there with us every step of the way and we’re completely endebted for them asking us back again.
‘It’s all volunteer work whether it’s standing at the bridge or putting fencing out in Davidstown. This is what it’s all about and we’re delighted to be part of it again.’