Fundraisers are the lifeblood of many charitable organisations. Without the dedication and commitment of these selfless volunteers the funds would simply not come in.
This year four incredible fundraisers have been shortlisted for the Armagh I Fundraiser of the Year Award (sponsored by Enagh Group). Vote for your winner here.
In June, James McGrath from Lurgan organised the ‘Dance for Lucy’ event in memory of his mum Lucia, who sadly passed away from Alzheimer’s and Dementia at the age of 60.
Related: Lurgan man in ten-hour ‘danceathon’ to build African school in memory of mum
After starting out with the initial target of £34,500 James’ endeavour has more than doubled the target amount with over £78,000 now raised.
The new total means he can build two schools rather than one and four additional charities also stand to benefit from the residual money after the schools are built.
When Bernie Walsh’s 30 year career with a multinational company in the health, wellness and weight loss industry abruptly came to an end in 2021 she launched herself into starting her own weightloss business – not wanting to let anyone down.
Once established, Bernie began giving back to the community that had whole-heartedly supported her. She chose PrettynPink (the only NI registered breast cancer charity). Her fundraising started with a sponsored walk, collection boxes in her classes and raffles.
Then in April of this year, Bernie organised a fashion show followed by a night of music that brought together several local businesses and gave an incredible boost to weightloss class members who took to the catwalk with pride!
The evening raised a whopping total of £21,500 which was handed over to PrettynPink that night.
The Care for Caolan campaign commenced in March of this year to provide financial support to talented Crossmaglen GAA player, Caolan Finnegan as he battles an aggressive form of brain cancer.
In less than three weeks the campaign – launched by Gareth O’Neill on behalf of Caolan’s family – raised a staggering £100,000 and today stands at over £293,000.
Related: Fundraisers continue as County Armagh responds to Care for Caolan call
The team behind the scenes have been unwavering in their commitment to the campaign, regularly organising fundraisers, coming up with creative ways to get the community involved and spreading the word of their efforts far and wide to ensure Care for Caolan remains a focus of public attention.
For the past 33 years Deborah Kennedy has been organising an Annual Towpath Walk to support the Southern Area Hospice.
Over the years, she has raised an incredible amount of money for the hospice and plans to continue holding the towpath walk for many years to come.
Deborah also regularly volunteers at the main hospice reception and makes regular appearances at their yearly fundraising events.
A representative for the Southern Area Hospice said of Deborah: “She is an extraordinary individual, and we are incredibly proud to have her as a volunteer.”
