Local walkers support 'Climb with Charlie'
The group from County Derry climbed Slieve Gallion.
A group of walkers from the Magherafelt area climbed Slieve Gallion at the weekend in support of the charity drive 'Climb with Charlie'.
The fundraiser saw thousands of walks take place throughout Ireland on Saturday (April 2) to raise funds for Pieta House and the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association.
The event was organised by the veteran RTÉ broadcaster Charlie Bird who announced he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease last October, and the condition has already greatly affected his voice.
A spokesperson for the group said they wanted to get behind the charity event after watching Mr Bird on television.
“Recently after watching Charlie Bird on The Late Late Show and his battle with Motor Neurone, the group decided to get behind the 'Climb with Charlie' event and raise some vital funds for the two charities, The Irish Motor Neurone Association and Pieta.
“The event was also held in memory of one of the group members Seamus Keenan's close friend Tony Kelly.”
The group had been training hard in the lead up to the event, meeting twice weekly to get the miles in.
On Saturday, they met at Lough Fea, starting out with a lap of the lough before climbing across Slieve Gallion, finishing at the bottom of Iniscairn Forest.
“A great day was had by all,” continued the spokesperson, adding; “It was made even better with surpassing the 5k target.
“The Slieve Gallion Drama Walkers would like to thank Keenwood Joinery for sponsoring the event and also for the social media coverage.
"A big thank you also to the girls at iCustomise and Kelly's Spar for their kind sponsoring and help. A big thanks to Mary, Laura and Roisin for all their help on the day, to all who donated and to Cathal McOscar Photography for the pictures.”