ROSIE RAISES OVER €1,600 FOR THE MATER HOSPITAL
A WICKLOW schoolgirl has smashed her fundraising target and raised over €1,600 for the Mater Hospital.
Ten-year-old Rosie Coad took part in The Mater Foundation’s Swim 10 Miles in a Month Challenge throughout November in the hope of raising €1,500 for the hospital.
As her challenge came to an end last week, the kind-hearted girl had already raised a fantastic €1,613 – with funds still coming in.
Rosie was the youngest fundraiser to take part in the Mater challenge, which involved swimming 2.5 miles a week. She broke that down into 60 lengths of the pool completed three times a week – twice in the mornings before school and once in the evening.
Rosie’s friends from Wicklow Hunt Club joined her in the pool at the Coral Leisure Centre in Wicklow town on Tuesday evenings to help encourage her as she completed her lengths.
As her challenge came to an end on Tuesday, November 27, Rosie’s mum Carol organised a special celebration to congratulate her and those friends who supported her along the way.
Rosie was inspired to take part in the challenge by her beloved grandad Michael Ryan, who was very sick with a hole in his septum around the time Rosie was born and had to undergo a critical operation.
‘He had surgery in the Mater Hospital and is still causing lots of mischief today. He is really fun and I love spending time with him,’ she explained.
Rosie has been raising money via her Facebook Fundraising page (www.facebook.com/donate/181166359432610/) and people can donate until tomorrow, Thursday, December 6.