A fundraiser to be held in Co. Mayo this evening is expected to make “in excess” of €60,000 to pay for a bus to transport cancer patients in the region to Galway city for treatment.
The fundraiser has been organised by the Mayo committee of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), in conjunction with Aurivo and McHale Farm Machinery.
It takes the form of a draw which will be held tonight (Friday, March 1) at the Halfway House in Islandeady, just outside Castlebar, at 9:00pm.
A representative for the IFA said that the draw is expected to raise over €60,000, and tickets for the raffle are expected to sell right up to the beginning of the night’s proceedings at 9:00pm.
Michael Ring, the Minister for Rural and Community Development, is expected to attend the fundraiser tonight, and has also allocated €100,000 to this project from his department.
The representative for the IFA said: “We have all sorts of prizes tonight. You name it, we’ve got it. But it’s actually the cause itself that attracted the ticket sales; It’s a great cause. We couldn’t believe how many tickets were sold.”
Up to 70 prizes are available for those whose names come out of the hat, including: a weekend away; a tonne of feed; a tonne of coal; and vouchers for fuel, veterinary services, and various types of shops.