A total of €45,000 was raised for three different charities at the recent open day in Abbeyleix House estate, owned by Stripe founder John Collison.
The event on June 25 saw hundreds of people buy tickets to attend a family-friendly event where there was a range of entertainment.
And the organisers of the event – the Abbey Leix House Family Day Team – have announced that €15,000 each has been given to the Abbeyleix and District Lions Club, the Abbeyleix St Vincent de Paul and the My Lovely Horse rescue group.
“It was very important to us that every penny raised would go to the benefit of local charities and we’re delighted that … €15,000 has been raised for each of our three nominated charities,” said the organisers in a statement.
“The funds we receive will benefit local families from whom we occasionally get requests if they are in financial difficulty and generally need a helping hand,” said Aubrey Hutchinson from the Abbeyleix and District Lions Club.
“To facilitate and especially around Christmas, we provide Food and Fuel vouchers or we might help families with funeral expenses and back to school costs.
“In the past, through our members’ local knowledge, it was possible to contribute to a number of people who would never have made an application to us.
“These are the people that might slip through the net & maybe elderly or simply isolated.
“With this generous donation, it will now allow us to be more diligent in this respect. Hampers at Christmas time to people in this category are so popular & much appreciated, which can amount up to 50-60 Families/Individuals.”
Martina Kenny, founder of the My Lovely Horse Rescue charity explained how the donation would help chip into some of their bills that are owed.
“John Drum from Blackwater Veterinary Clinic is owed €43,000 so €5,000 is going to straight to him,” she said.
“And €10,000 is going on a deposit for a new tractor. We have had to retire old Peter and the second-hand tractor we are looking at is approx. €30k.
“It’s just so great to have the money to hold it for us.”
“The financial support from the Abbeyleix House Fun day ensures that St. Lazerians SVP Conference can cope with the requests for help of Food, Fuel & education due to the highly inflated prices that so many individuals & families in our community will face this coming winter,” said Shirley Cahill, President of Abbeyleix SVP.
Check out some great pictures from the event below courtesy of Alice McIlroy:
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