'Very special' night in store for Bluestack Foundation at Finn Park

Over 50 people from the Bluestack Special Needs Foundation will attend the Finn Harps-Wexford game at Finn Park on Friday night.

The Bluestack Special Needs Foundation is Harps' charity partner for 2024. Harps will wear their special third kit, which has the Bluestack name emblazoned on the front.

A percentage from the sale of each jersey goes to the charity.

The Bluestack Special Needs Foundation was established in 2002 by the McBrearty family to provide direct supports to people with additional needs themselves and direct supports to their families and carers.

The foundation initially started as a fundraising challenge – walking the Bluestack Mountains – but in 2006 a charity was established to address the lack of service provision for families caring for children and adults with additional needs.

In 2008, the Bluestack Foundation purchased their first building in Donegal Town and Darren Murphy, the Finn Harps first team manager, was a recent visitor.

“What a charity to be involved with,” Murphy said this week. “It is fantastic to see that we are helping to put the Bluestack Foundation name out there. It is a fantastic idea and I loved that we had the kids involved in the launch.

“The amount of people from outside of Donegal who have already bought a jersey, it's widespread.”

Murphy was struck by a quote – 'Nothing is impossible, the word itself says I'm possible' – that hangs in the Bluestack premises at The Glebe in Donegal Town.

Aidan Campbell, Harps' Commercial and Marketing Officer, said the club is looking forward to welcoming a large crowd from their charity partner to Friday's game.

“It will be a very special night,” he said. “We didn't just want to tick a box with this. We wanted to make sure that they got something tangible out of it. Our brief was to get the Bluestack name out there in terms of the services, supports and programmes that they have and just let people know a bit more about who they are.”