This is shaping up to be a brilliant night of entertainment.
The ‘Do It For Dan’ Virtual Lip Sync Battle is set for this Saturday night, April 18 at 8.30pm.
The people behind Lip Sync Battles Ireland are providing their services free of charge and all funds are going towards little Dan Donoher.
Funnyman Alan Shortt, who recently presented the St Colmans’ Stradbally Lip Sync Battle, will be the host for the first ever virtual event.
A dedicated website, doitfordan.live, has been launched and that is where you will be able to watch the event.
It is also where you will be able to vote for who you want to win. One vote costs €1 and you can vote for any of the now confirmed 13 acts.
Whoever gets the most votes on the night will be crowned winners and the 13 participating acts are as follows:
(1) The Shanahoe Ladies, (2) Tom O’Connell, (3) The Bowe Brothers From Timahoe, (4) John Fenlon, (5) The Kerry Crew, (6) Sir Stevo Timothy & Sinead AKA Farmer Michael & Kathleen, (7) Jack Malone, (8) Frank & Fiona from SuperValu Stradbally, (9) Rory’s Stories & Ella, (10) Jennifer Colgan, (11) David & Hugh Donoher, (12) Aine Maye, (13) Kieran Corrigan
While three of the four celebrity judges who will adjudicate the event have also been confirmed.
RTE Sports Broadcaster Evanne Ní Chuilinn, Mayo footballer Aidan O’Shea and RTE TV and radio presenter Kathryn Thomas will be joined by an as yet unconfirmed fourth judge.
LaoisToday understands that this person is an extremely high profile and controversial GAA figure who is not afraid to speak their mind.
A massive fundraiser was launched for baby Dan Donoher on March 5, son of Niall and Aisling Donoher from Ballybrittas, who has been diagnosed with a rare life-threatening disease.
A GoFundMe page has been set up for the little boy with a genetic neuromuscular disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 1 and Scoliosis.
A breakthrough treatment is available in the USA and to meet the cost, a target of €2million has been set.
The reaction to the fundraiser has been huge with €741,000 raised so far from more than 12,000 different people.
People are not just raising money but awareness too as people are sharing the GoFundMe page on multiple social media platforms.
Dan’s parents Niall and Aisling (Nee Quigley) are very well known in the Laois GAA community.
Niall represented Laois footballers at all levels until his retirement at the end of the 2018 season while Aisling, originally from Timahoe, played for the Laois ladies team for a long number of years too. The couple live in Jamestown, on the old main Dublin Road near Ballybrittas.
Dan was diagnosed with this disease last December at the age of 8 months.
The life expectancy of an SMA type 1 child is 18-24 months.
A ground breaking treatment called Zolgensma is currently only available in USA and costs 2.1 million dollars for a once off infusion.
Studies show that Zolgensma can substantially improve quality of life and survival of this horrific disease.
This treatment is only available to children under the age of two and who meet the requirements.
Dan currently qualifies but “we are against the clock” his parents explain.
About one in every 11,000 children are diagnosed with SMA. It had been incurable, but with this wonder drug on the market it offers Dan a chance at improved or even a normal life.
SEE ALSO – Eight residents at Laois hospital die from Coronavirus over Easter weekend
