Two transition year (TY) students presented a cheque for a whopping €6,000 – the proceeds of a tractor run – to Galway hospice on Friday.
Cormac Porter and Alex Burns who are students at St. Brigid’s College, Loughrea, had originally hoped to raise €3,000 from the tractor run which took place on Sunday, April 7 last.
Cormac and Alex had both lost loved ones to cancer and wanted to give back to Galway hospice. They presented the cheque to a delighted Orla Feeney of Galway hospice.
“I lost my grandad Christy Porter in 2016 after a short battle with cancer. It really took its toll on me as we went to every hurling game that we could get to and he was a big part of my life,” Cormac said.
“Alex unfortunately lost his mother Noreen in 2007 when he was only five years-of-age, and with him having five siblings, it was very tough on them,” he said.
The work of the hospice impressed us very much because we both saw first hand the work they do for families in a time of need. They are always there at an arm’s reach whenever a family needs them.
The students’ heartfelt wish to help others affected by cancer struck a chord with many people and the response to the tractor run was enthusiastic.
“We had 50 participants. Most were local but a few came from long distances. We had mostly new tractors but a few classic vintage.
“We had Tommy Burke from Dunmore on his Massey Ferguson 35X with a V8 engine. Another person travelled from Ennis.
“The run went brilliant. We were very organised so we had our plan which we stuck to. Outside the school there was a lot of support and along the route there were floods of people at different turns,” the students said.
“The second people saw it was two young lads raising money for Galway hospice; they were so generous,” the 16-year-olds said. Local individuals and businesses got behind the run, donating raffle and spot prizes as well as cash.
Cormac and Alex were nominated by their school for a Galway/Roscommon Education Training Board award as a result of their fundraising. They see the nomination as a great honour.
“The nomination means a lot to us, that we are being recognised for the work we have done for charity.
“We knew going at the tractor run there was a lot of work with it but myself and Alex had a fair idea with what we were at from being at other runs,” Cormac said.
“Martin Raftery, a teacher at school, really helped us out to organise it. We don’t know if it will be an annual event because with 5th year next year, it might be hard to fit it in with school.”
Cormac is from a farming background, with his family keeping 100 dairy cows in Killimor. While Alex isn’t from a farm, he has a keen interest in agriculture. Both students hope to attend agricultural college after doing the Leaving Cert.