Footballers row in behind Pieta House
THE Cork Senior football panel and management team are coming together for Pieta House this Saturday, May 30.
Called Cork Club Together for Pietam, the fundraising efforts have been put in place to help out one of the most recognisable and respected of Irish charities in a time of financial crisis.
They will run the required distance it takes to run through each of the 24 clubs involved in the set-up. Starting with the team captain Ian Maguire of St Finbarr’s the players will run the total of 432km between them over the course of the day, finishing back with the team manager Ronan McCarthy in Douglas.
Cork football captain Ian Maguire said:
“It was inspiring and heart warming to see the nation wide support for Pieta in absence of their main fundraiser Darkness Into Light, but we the Cork Footballers recognise that we can not rely on one event to fund such an essential service.
“We plan to show our solidarity with Pieta by running the required distance between the various clubs involved in our set-up. We plan quite literally to club together and share the burden of 430km between our clubs and each player to run 10kms on May 30. This is fantastic cause and please come out and support us.”
The fundraising campaign has been launched via a Go Fund Me page, which you can find via “Cork Club Together 4 Pieta” on social media channels such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. They will also have auctions throughout the week so keep an eye on the social media pages.
Ronan McCarthy manager of the Cork senior football team said:
“It has been heartening to see over the last number of weeks and months so many clubs around the country making such massive efforts to support this outstanding organisation.
“Pieta is there for all in the community at any time that you need support and we want to acknowledge and support their wonderful work by making this effort to raise money for them. I urge you and ask you to donate to our efforts and let us all come together for Pieta House.”
Pat Duffy of Pieta House:
“I would like to thank the Cork Senior Football team and their management team for there support this year to help us overcome the loss of the Darkness Into Light event.
“The Darkness into Light event last year accounted for €6million which represents 45% to 50% of our annual fundraising.
“All services in Pieta House are completely free and we depend on the community for our funding. Overall, our annual funding from the community accounts for in excess of 80%. One piece of research that I would like to mention although from a few years ago through the Open University and in conjunction with the University of Ulster.
“Saving one person from suicide you actually help as many as 71 people.”
Donations can be made at gofundme.com/f/corkclubtogether4pieta