Lough Ree RNLI is asking the public to support ‘Mayday’, the charity’s annual fundraising campaign. The appeal comes as the RNLI announced their rescue figures for 2018, which noted that the lifeboat crew on Lough Ree in Dromineer launched 72 times and assisted 188 people on the lough, making it one of the busiest stations in Ireland.
For the month of May, the RNLI’s Mayday campaign is asking people to ‘do their bit, to fund our kit’ with the lifesaving charity hoping to raise €780,000 to fund the crucial kit volunteer crews rely on, which includes lifejackets, helmets and the RNLI’s yellow wellies.
Lough Ree RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Tony McCarth commented, “as a volunteer overseeing the running of Lough Ree lifeboat station, I know first-hand the commitment it takes for volunteers to become lifeboat crew. Lough Ree is one of the busiest stations in Ireland due to the increasingly large number of people who enjoy the lake. Our crews drop everything when their pagers go off to launch the lifeboat and head out to help those in trouble. The lifeboat crew kit they wear gives them the confidence to face all weathers and conditions, day or night. The right kit is vital in helping our lifeboat crews carry out what they are trained to do. Not every callout is a dramatic rescue, but every callout is to help someone who is in difficulty and that is a great feeling for our crews.
“I hope people will answer the RNLI’s ‘Mayday’ appeal and consider doing something to support the RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crew. It doesn’t matter how big or small it is. Every piece of kit on a lifeboat crewmember has been funded through the generosity of people who donated to the charity.”
People who want to get involved should visit RNLI.org/Mayday to register for a free Mayday pack. The pack provides a host of fundraising ideas. The charity is also encouraging people to show support on their social media, joining the conversation using the hashtag #MaydayEveryDay, or by donating online or buying a yellow welly pin badge.
