This article is from page 34 of the 2007-07-24 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 34 JPG
THE Clare branch of the Samaritans has received a major funding boost after ©€26,000 was raised for the service, by organisers of alOk walk held in April. The cheque was pre- sented to members of the Samaritans in Ennis, last week.
SU slomr-NbecKO) Mee COMA VDL Gn. chem rO ms Eihio awareness of the issues surrounding suicide. It was the second year of the event and brings to almost €50,000 the amount of money raised by the walk for the Samaritans.
The event was organised by three local people Keith Molloy, Sasha O’Brien and Clare O’Brien. The money will be used to cover the costs of running the Samaritans centre in
Ennis which are estimated at around €1,000 a week.
A spokesperson for the Samaritans thanked the organisers and said the money would go towards maintain- ing a 24-hour service at the centre.
“We really want to thank the people who did this. It is an amazing amount of money to raise and it will be really helpful to us running the service. We are constantly having to maintain the centre on Kilrush road”.
The spokesperson added, “The walk was for suicide awareness and it really gives you an indication of the concern and interest that exists out there about suicide”’.
Sasha O’Brien, one of the 10k walk organisers has already been com- mended for her efforts to generate
greater public discussion on suicide. Earlier this year, she was nominated for a Pramerica Spirit of Community Award, for a series of projects she undertook as a Leaving Cert student at Colaiste Muire, Ennis, to raise sul- cide awareness.
The Pramerica Spirit of Commu- nity Awards programme recognises and rewards post-primary/second- level students for volunteer work car- ried out in their communities.
Sasha received help from her un- cle Keith Molloy and aunt Clare O’Brien.
Meanwhile the Samaritans are set to benefit from money raised from a different type of event over the week- Nee
The “Malin Head to Mizen Head
Challenge’ saw local man Peader White travel from one end of Ireland to the other, setting of on Friday and returning back to Ennis on Sunday.
Peader’s choice of automobile for the three-day journey was a 1956 vintage Morris Minor. It is the sec- ond time the keen vintage car enthu- siast undertook the challenge. Last year Peader raised almost €2,500 for the Samaritans, by taking the same journey in a 1950 Austin A40 Somerset. The car had previously been used in director Tim Burton’s big screen version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.