Christmas Swim In Memory Of Danny Crowley On Christmas Day, a group of students from Carrigaline Community School, along with their families and friends, will take to the water at Myrtleville Beach in memory of their friend, Danny Crowley, who passed away after a long battle with Leukaemia in November 2013. Funds raised through the Christmas Day Swim will go to the Mercy Hospital Foundation’s Kids and Teens Appeal. Danny’s friends organised the first Carrigaline Christmas Day Charity Swim in his memory in December 2013, when 40 swimmers braved the chilly waters. In 2014, 73 people took part, and organisers are hoping that this year’s swim will be their biggest yet. The 2013 and 2014 swims raised a tremendous €11,000 for the Mercy Hospital Foundation. For anyone interested in taking part in this year’s Charity Swim, sponsorship cards are available from Mano Mano Barber Shop, Main Street, Carrigaline. For those not brave enough to chance the water on Christmas Day, donations can be made in the collection buckets in Mano Mano now. Deborah Lonergan, member of the organising committee says “We want this year’s Christmas Day Swim to be our best yet, and we’re inviting people to show their support in whatever way they can. With the phasing out of copper coins, one way people can help to kick-start our fundraising drive is to drop their 1c and 2c coins off in the collection buckets we have in Mano Mano right now – every little bit helps.”
As well as the annual Christmas Day Swims, 190 students from Carrigaline Community School took part in a Fun Walk in April 2014, raising €5,385 in Danny’s memory for the Mercy Kids and Teens Appeal, and for which the group picked up a Mercy Stars Award in 2014. The Mercy Kids and Teens Appeal aims to raise funds to benefit crucial areas of The Mercy’s paediatric services including Bereavement Counselling, Support for children, and Support for Education. Many children are affected by the death of a parent or sibling and require Bereavement Counselling and other support services. For many other children and young people with long term illnesses their education can be affected and the Mercy Hospital Foundation provides support through the hospital Social Work Department to enable many of these children to continue their education following their illness. For sponsorship cards or to make a donation to the Carrigaline Christmas Day Charity Swim, visit Mano Mano Barbers in Carrigaline or call Deborah on (086) 3739135. For more information on The Mercy Kids and Teens Appeal visit www.mercyfundraising.ie.