Put your best foot forward to support virtual fundraiser for Limerick hospital

LACE up the walking shoes and get moving on behalf of St Ita’s Community Hospital, Newcastle West is the message from Friends of St Ita’s chairman, Fergus Scanlan.

Mr Scanlan is appealing to walkers and runners to take on the challenge of a virtual 5km sponsored walk or run in order to keep improvements going at St Ita’s.

All anybody needs to do is secure a sponsorship card from Mr Scanlan or any member of the committee.

“People can do the walk any time or any place of their own choosing between June 7 and June 13,” Mr Scanlan said. But collection of sponsorship can run until July 31.

The take-up on the virtual walk/run is “going very well”, he added but the Friends are keen to stress that is is one of the few fundraisers they are able to run this year because of Covid-19.

“We have no church gate collections and they are a big loss. In good years, we got €20-25,000 from those alone,” he explained. Coffee mornings or any event where people gathered were also ruled out.

But thankfully, Mr Scanlan stressed, private donations were still coming in. “There is huge support for St Ita’s and for what we do,” he said. “ Over the past two years, we have spent nearly €200,000,” he added.

A big slice of this money went on specialist rehabilitation equipment (€63,000) but the Friends also installed equipment so that hospital clients could have religious services or entertainment streamed into the rooms and wards. The Friends are constantly looking at ways to make life better for those who use the hospital’s facilities, Mr Scanlan stressed.

For sponsorship cards, contact 087 7538133.