• 19 Apr, 2008
• Business, Nature

The Fundraising committee at Ireland West Airport Knock is delighted to announce that the final amount raised at their annual fundraising event in November 2007 reached an amazing €56,000. The committee vowed last September to raise money for children by donating raised funds to Mayo Autism Action, The Irish Association of Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, Mayo Roscommon Hospice and Croí. They had aimed to raise €50,000 but successfully secured a further €6,000 which was up from the €40,000 they raised the previous year. The committee at Ireland West Airport Knock consists of ten members of staff who have supported local charities through their annual fundraising event since 2003. To date they have raised an impressive €178,000 through a combination of sponsorship and hosting a Gala Fundraising Evening which incorporates an auction and raffle with some wonderful prizes donated by businesses.

All charities to benefit from the funds were recently presented with cheques which will they will put towards enhancing the quality and protection of life for children living in the West of Ireland. Mayo Roscommon Hospice, Mayo Autism Action, Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus all received €12,000. The largest donation of €20,000 was given to Croí towards equipping all secondary schools in East Mayo with automated external defibrillators (AED). The committee had vowed to commit enough money from their annual fundraising event to purchase and install the life saving machines with full training in each East Mayo secondary school. The programme is being rolled out under the guidance of Croí. The Fundraising committee of Ireland West Airport Knock chose to start this ground-breaking campaign in light of the recent and sudden cardiac deaths of Irish secondary students in September 2007. The schools to benefit from this project are; Ballyhaunis Community School, Scoil Muire Agus Padraig, Swinford, St Josephs Secondary School Foxford, St Josephs Secondary School Charlestown and St Louis Community School Kiltimagh,
The committee at Ireland West Airport hopes that this project will set a president for health and safety regulations in all other schools in Ireland.

Speaking on behalf of the fundraising committee a spokesperson said: “As a committee we are absolutely delighted with the amount of money that has been raised for these four worthy causes. If it had not been for the continuous generosity of local businesses and the general public who buy tickets and who come along on the night and take part in the auction we would not be able to make these donations to the charities. I would like to give a heartfelt thanks to each and every business and person who helped us raise this money and made the event such a success. Each year the bar is raising and we raise more and more money, plans are already underway for this year’s event and we hope to continue raising the bar again!”

The 2007 fundraising committee at Ireland West Airport Knock was made up of 10 voluntary members of staff; Pearse Concannon, Shelia Cannon, John McCarthy, PJ Rochford, Joanne Govin, Elaine Grealy, Anne Caulfield, Catherine O’Boyle, Claire Howley and Orla Gibney.