Over €3,000 worth of toys have been donated to a children’s charity by members of the Farm Tractor and Machinery Trade Association (FTMTA).
During the November meeting of the organisation’s executive council it was decided to organise a Christmas children’s toy appeal.
The chosen charity for the appeal was Barretstown, which is based in Ballymore Eustace, Co. Kildare.
The charity offers free, specially-designed camps and programmes for children and their families living with serious illnesses such as cancer.
The activities are supported behind the scenes by fulltime on-site medical and nursing care, along with virtual school and hospital outreach programmes for children who need them.
Barretstown has supported over 70,000 children and their families since it was established in 1994.
FTMTA
The FTMTA said that it was “overwhelmed” by the “generosity and enthusiasm” of its members in responding to the toy appeal.
Over €3,000 worth of toys were delivered to the organisation’s head office over the past two weeks.
FTMTA thanked everyone who donated to the appeal including:
- Donegal Tractors;
- Templetuohy Farm Machinery;
- Donohoe Agri;
- Whelan’s Garage;
- Kubota UK;
- Cooney Furlong;
- Cork Farm Machinery;
- Farm Power;
- Meath Farm Machinery;
- Delaney Commercials;
- Poettinger;
- Kelly’s of Borris;
- Nunan Farm Machinery;
- Cross Agricultural Engineering;
- Quigley’s Garage;
- Alan Douglas Farm Machinery;
- Breen Farm Machinery;
- McCarthy Plant and Agri Sales.
An array of toys were donated suitable for children aged from 2 to 17, with an even mixture of girls and boys toys.
The toys were delivered and presented to Barretstown yesterday (Wednesday, December 21) by FTMTA executive director, Michael Farrelly and the association’s new president, Diarmuid Claridge.
Members who did not get a chance to participate in the toy appeal can still make an online donation directly Barretstown.
The FTMTA has been in existence for over 100 years. It was formed in 1913 when a group of dealers created the Agricultural Implement Trade Association Ireland ltd.
The association is recognised as the official representative trade body of the Irish farm machinery industry.