Cash boost for Special Olympians
MEMBERS OF Wexford Special Olympics Club were on hand to receive cheques from two local organisations who provided much needed funds for them.
The club, who had 23 members competing in the Ireland Games last week, needed to raise €15,000 to cover the cost of the competitors and club chairman Peader Dempsey said that thanks the huge generosity of the local community, they had smashed that target.
He added that any surplus funding would go towards the day-to-day running of the club.
The first cheque came from the Ballycogley Players who performed their All Ireland winning play ‘The Night Alive’ in aid of the group at the National Opera House last month. The group, fresh from their success in Carnew drew a huge crowd, selling out the theatre and raising a total of €2,500 for the organisation.
Mr Dempsey, who was in the audience on the night, said they had enjoyed the play immensely and were very grateful to the group for their generosity.
He explained that one of their volunteers Catherine Murphy Walsh was a member of the group and she had suggested fundraising for the Special Olympics Club which chairman Paddy McGuire happily agreed to.
The second cheque was presented by Tim Cummings and Eleanor O’Farrell from Kirwan and Kirwan solicitors. The company was approached by John O’Connor and his athlete son Dean, to see if they would be willing to donate to the club. The company presented John, Dean and other members of the club with a cheque for €1,000 as a donation to their fundraising efforts.