The death of much-loved members of a tight-knit community encouraged the owners of a popular Moate pub on a fundraising journey in aid of their local hospice.
After the untimely deaths within the last decade, Denis and Annette Moran of the Gap House decided to host a sponsored walk which raised over €28,000 for the South Westmeath Hospice - where their friends had received care in their final days.
Since then, the couple has continued fundraising for the Hospice through the annual Bewley’s Big Coffee Morning Social for Hospice.
“We have lost a lot of dear friends and loved ones down through the years. Many friends pop into us here at the Gap House to socialise with a drink or a coffee and we all look out for each other, so when some of those people passed away, we were all devastated and just felt helpless.
“We decided to fundraise for the hospice which provided care for them and an initial sponsored walk by Denis and a community group turned into an annual coffee morning event here, with so much support from locals who bake, collect and just help out on the day.
“The coffee morning now remembers so many customers and their families and friends who have died with dignity through the invaluable care of the hospice and it’s a lovely event to remember, recall and just catch up in the moment,” Annette stated.
The Gap House will hold its annual coffee morning on Saturday, September 23 from 10am to 1.30pm.
The nationwide event, supported by Bewley’s since 1992, has raised over €43.2 million and there is a €2 million fundraising target this year.
Together for Hospice, the National Hospice Movement, represents 26 Hospice and specialist palliative home care providers supporting patients and their families.
Funds raised locally stay local and go back into each hospice to innovate, build new facilities, develop new services and deliver quality improvements and extra benefits for their patients and family members.
Register now to hold a coffee morning on September 21 - or on a date that suits you - at hospicecoffeemorning.ie or call 0818 995 996. If you cannot host or attend one, you can make a donation at hospicecoffeemorning.ie/donate
