Charity walk to mark big birthdays

A CHARITY walk in aid of North Tipperary Hospice is being organised by a local man and woman to mark their 60th birthdays.
Pat Delaney and Sheila Geaney, both seasoned members of the Nenagh Walking Club, are hoping that others will join them on their walk from Garrykennedy to Newtown on Sunday, August 30th, to raise funds for this very worthy cause. 
The 10k walk will start at 12.30pm at the graveyard carpark in Garrykennedy. Those interested in taking part can register on the day up to 12 noon at Reidy's Skyfarmers pub in Newtown where a voluntary bucket collection will be in operation.
Pat and Sheila and the rest of the walkers will take a route from Garrykennedy to the finishing point at Reidy’s where finger food and other refreshments will be served following the event. A number of spot prizes will also be up for grabs. 
Pat and Sheila would be delighted to receive donations for the hospice as funds have been very much depleted over the past several months due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 
The two organisers say they are thrilled to be using their big birthdays to be raising money for such a deserving cause. 
The vision of North Tipperary Hospice Movement is that no one should have to face a diagnosis of cancer without appropriate care and support.
Established 30 years ago, the hospice has acquired two cancer support centres, thanks to the support of fundraisers and donors. 
One of the centres, Suimhneas, is located at Gortlandroe, Nenagh, and the other is Suir Haven, located in Thurles. An outreach centre also operates from Roscrea and a two-bed Respite Unit is available to anyone who needs it at Saint Conlon's Nursing Home in Nenagh. 
The centres are community based and offer emotional support, practical help and information in a safe, positive and confidential environment to people living with cancer and their families. All services provided by the centres are free of charge.
The hospice provides palliative care in supporting people at the end stage of life, affording them the dignity of dying in their own homes surrounded by family and friends. 
A sum of €400,000 is required annually to maintain all of these wonderful services, and that is why initiatives like this one by Pat and Sheila is so vital as fundraising is the only source of income for the hospice. 
Since the lockdown was imposed last March to stop the spread of the coronavirus the North Tipperary Hospice centres have been working remotely by telephone and video links and continue to offer a superb service. But the centre in Thurles re-opened last Monday and the Suimhneas centre in Nenagh is due to re-open at the end of the month.

For further details and to obtain a sponsorship card you can contact Pat on 085-1741411 or email him at patdelaney357@eircom.net