Five on mission to South Africa
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Presentation of cheque for €3,844 to volunteers for mission to South African with members of the organising committee of the Tractor and Vintage Car Run.Image 2 of 3
Matt Sheary, Kilmastulla, with his magnificient superb 1978 ‘Elvis’ car, believed to be from the Elvis fleet taking part in the Tractor and Vintage Car Run.Image 3 of 3
Ray Byrne, Shallee, with his 1974 VW Karmann car at the Tractor and Vintage Car Run.Five local volunteers on a mission to South Africa next month are among the beneficiaries of the proceeds from a very successfully organised Annual Tractor and Vintage Car Run.
Barry and Garry O'Toole, Fionn Goodwin, John Ryan and Cian Kennedy have volunteered the service of their skills in building construction to assist with the erection of a large school to provide educational facilities for the children of poor families in South Africa.
They leave on November 15 for a two-week mission as volunteers under the Niall Mellon project in South Africa where they will participate in the building of the school.
In support of their volunteerism, they were presented with a cheque for €3,844 by the organisers of the Annual Tractor and Vintage Car Run at Newport.
The event was held in conjunction with the Annual Harvest Threshing Festival at Ahern's Bar, Bunkey, Newport and the cheque was handed over by Angela Coffey, co-ordinator of the Tractor and Vintage Car Run at Ahern's Bar at the culmination of the day's programme.
DAY CARE CENTRE BENEFITS TOO
Newport Day Centre, which provides a great service in the area for senior citizens are an annual beneficiary of support funding from the event. This year the organisers decided to share the proceeds between supporting the five parishioners taking part in the Niall Mellon project and the Newport Day Centre each receiving €3,844.
A total of 106 tractors and 15 vintage cars, spanning three quarters of a century, participated in the run from Newport Livestock Mart through part of Newport and Murroe parishes to finish at Bunkey.
Organising committee behind the event were Pat Shinnors, JJ Ryan, Martin Shinnors, PJ Ryan, Carol Ryan, Con Mackey, Monica Mackey, Aine Mackey, Martin Coffey, Angela Coffey and John Ryan.
Angela Coffey thanked everyone who had participated in or contributed towards the outstanding success of the event which had raised €7,688 after defraying the costs incurred, to be shared by two worthy causes.
The proceeds were indicative of “the wonderful generosity of the people of the are” and on behalf of the committee she expressed thanks and appreciated and complimented the parishioners on their mission to South Africa and wished them well.