TippOff Hospice Challenge to raise funds for vital services

In a time of virtual meetings and virtual hugs, fundraising has also had to think outside the box. Covid-19 has attracted the focus of many areas of our lives and it is very easy to forget that other diseases still exist.

Indeed it is probably fair to say that many illnesses have been swallowed up in the vacuum created by the pandemic.

Unfortunately Cancer has not gone away and the vital work of the Hospice still continues.

So many important and successful fundraising initiates have been cancelled, yet the large costs of running Hospice services continue.

For many years now the Roscrea Fundraising Committee of North Tipperary Hospice would on average raise approx. €50,000 per annum but this has been severely hit.

To combat this, the committee decided to try raising funds in a different but safe and socially distanced manner.

Due to the fact that a lot of people living on the border with Offaly use these services in Tipperary, it was decided to organise an event that would benefit both counties.

The Hospice offers many services to cancer sufferers and survivors. From palliative care, counselling, home help, transport, reflexology, massage etc, all these services are paid for by the hospice through fundraising. Cancer will affect us all either directly or indirectly.

Tipperary is fortunate to be less than an hour’s drive from Milford Hospice in Limerick.

However there is no Hospice centre in Offaly, Laois or Westmeath. The Offaly Hospice Foundation have been given a site on the grounds of Tullamore Hospital, and the committee are now embarking on the mammoth task of raising money to build a Hospice Care Centre to serve the midlands.

After an online meeting between the committees of Roscrea Hospice Fundraising and Offaly Hospice Foundation it was decided to organise a virtual run, walk or cycle. This is an event that both adults and children can take part in.

The beauty of the idea is that you can stay within your 5km limit and still complete it. You don’t even have to be in Ireland.

Participants simply log onto myrunresults.com and sign up to take part. You can take your pick of a 5k, 10k or half marathon. You can even do all three.

Once you have signed up and donated you also have the option of purchasing a t-shirt, medal and snood. With the long evenings approaching fast you have a full three months to take part. Every penny that is donated will go directly to helping people with cancer.