Feeny lights up for Christmas in memory of much-loved Anne and Joe

A Feeny residence on Main Street will be illuminated for charity in memory of a beloved local couple this Christmas as a tender tribute to their passing.

Valued members of the community, Anne and Joe Guy, both passed away in recent years after bringing joy to Feeny village for ten years with their colourful Christmas light display.

Their four children, Ailish, Joanne, Kieran and Christopher, have decided to honour their parents’ generous community spirit by continuing the vibrant illumination in aid of Northern Ireland Chest, Heart and Stroke and the North West Cancer Centre in Derry.

Ailish Guy explained the history behind her parents’ light up legacy and why it was important to the family to continue the tradition.

“We lost my dad on 18th June this year to cancer after losing my mum the previous May and we wanted to celebrate their memory.

“As children, mum and dad took us around different houses to see all the Christmas lights and one year, they decided to put up their own outdoor decorations, each year after, something new was bought to add to the display.

“Daddy loved doing it; Feeny doesn’t get their own lights, so all the local children loved it, and looked forward to Joe and Anne’s lights going on, even the adults say Feeny wouldn’t be the same without Joe’s lights!

“They had been doing this for the last ten years and two years ago, daddy even dressed up as Santa for the local playgroup and gave out bars of chocolate!”

Christmas was always a special time for the Guys and the community rallied around the family’s Christmas lights, referring affectionately to Joe as the Christmas Man of Feeny!

The recipients of the family’s generous fundraisers were carefully chosen; Chest, Heart and Stroke as Anne had suffered a stroke ten years ago, Joe had undergone a quadruple by-pass eight years ago and Ailish herself had open heart surgery two years ago.

As Joe’s life was taken by cancer, the family had picked the North West Cancer Centre in Derry as their second charity to say thank you to the Sperrin Room at Altnagelvin and Ward 50 for Joe’s care.

The lights are switched on at 36 Main Street, where Joe and Anne lived, each night at 4pm until around 8pm and until Christmas arrives.

The Main Street house is certainly catching the eye of locals and those passing through the village.

Ailish shared how much it meant to the family to be able to raise money for the causes close to their heart by displaying the decorations which their dad loved so much.

“It means so much as my dad was a big wean when it came to Christmas, especially with the lights, he had to get something new every year!

“It is a mark of memory for both, because we lost them so quickly and so close together.

“We just want to keep their memory alive and let everyone know in Feeny that things will stay the same even though they are not there.

“We also wanted to thank the Sperrin Room and Ward 50 for all the help that they gave to Daddy and the Chest, Heart and Stroke for daddy and mammy for their support over the years and their continued support for myself.

“It’s just nice to be able to give back to them as a thank you.”

The family are also selling tickets for hampers and Feeny residents can buy these or donate via charity boxes at the Sperrin View Bar, the Spar in Feeny or Derrychrier Filling Station.

Tickets, which are £1 per strip or 6 for £5, can also be purchased or donations made by transferring via Paypal to samguy@hotmail.co.uk stating donation or tickets.

The draw for the tickets will take place via a live Facebook stream on Joe’s birthday on December 20.

Ailish emphasised that these were the only ways to donate to the charity fundraiser to prevent scams:

“We will never message anyone or set up any links to a Go Fund Me page, this is the only Paypal account that will be used.

“We just want people to be vigilant, at this time of year, there are so many scams going about!

“The charity boxes will be available for people to give to in the shops and pub all over the Christmas period until the New Year.

“We just want to thank the community for all their love and support too, seeing the love when we announced the lights were going up was so nice.

“The cheer that it gives to children, adults and the elderly, it means a lot to us as a family.”