Even seasoned charity fundraisers got a suck-in on Sunday afternoon as the revived and 11th Paudie Fitzmaurice Memorial Tractor and All-Vehicle Run proceeds were counted.
This year’s chosen beneficiary, Castleisland Day Care Centre, will receive a cheque for €6,475 from the ad-hoc organising group which set up the event in 2012 in memory of their friend and local, ever obliging taxi-man, Paudie Fitzmaurice.
On Sunday, over 100 vehicles of all descriptions took to the roads from Cordal through Castleisland and onto Currow and back to Cordal.
€millions Worth of Farm Vehicles
Groups of people gathered at many different vantage points along the route and several commented on and took wild guesses as to the total of €millions worth of agricultural vehicles on show on the day.
“To be honest with you it’s heart-warming to see the levels of commitment and contributions made to this event and what it’s raising funds for,” said Cllr. Charlie Farrelly who led the run on Sunday.
“All the proceeds will go to the day care centre because they lost their annual fundraising cycle because of exorbitant insurance costs being levied on such events now,” said Cllr. Farrelly.
So Many to Thank
“There are many people to thank from all the bucket collection volunteers who worked the streets in Castleisland on Saturday to the may who stewarded the run on Sunday.
“The late Paudie Fitzmaurice would be proud of his family, Mary and Pádraig, Laura, Ava and Sharon and their many young friends for the way they come around the event every year and the support they show for each other.
“That’s the kind of spirit you need to run an event like this and raise the kind money that’s so badly needed in the community now more than ever.
Young Generation Awareness
It’s the kind of spirit that binds communities and we can see that the younger generation, represented so well by Paudie’s and Mary’s family, growing up with an awareness of the needs of the community around them – and that can only be good,” said Cllr. Farrelly.
Sunday’s amount raised has now edged the total collected and distributed on behalf of the Paudie Fitzmaurice Memorial Run to very close to the €100,000 mark.
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