Seven serving Irish Defence Forces’ personnel marched through Athlone in recent times on a fundraising expedition for two Irish charities.
Starting in Dublin, the fundraising cohort headed west on their 216 kilometre route, in the process marching through Moate and Athlone before concluding their trek in Galway.
Taking place over a four day duration, the core focus of the seven army personnel was to raise awareness and essential funds for veterans’ charity ONE and the Irish Cancer Society. Donations can be made online, with members of the public encouraged to donate as participants make their way along the route, with all monies raised divided evenly between the charities.
ONE (Óglaigh Náisiúnta Na hÉireann, the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel ) is an Irish veterans’ charity that was established to support ex-service personnel. The organisation offers housing, professional counselling, and support services to homeless and struggling veterans. The Irish Cancer Society aims to transform the experiences and outcomes of people affected by cancer through advocacy, support services and research.
The energetic fundraising team comprised of Coy Sgt Martin Moules, CQMS David Bates, CQMS Darren McCarthy, Sgt Jonathan Santamaria, CQMS Peter Scully, Cpl Fran Firzhenry, and Cpl Peter McCardle, all of whom were supported along the way by a number of their Defence Forces colleagues.
ONE was founded in March 1951 with the aim of supporting former members of the Defence Forces as they make the difficult transition into civilian life. The charity organises year-round events to raise money and awareness around issues involving Irish Veterans and currently has 38 branches, 15 veteran centres, and four residential homes across the country. To date, the charity has helped more than 1,000 veterans out of homelessness and provides 18,615 bed nights a year, between its homes in Athlone, Cobh, Dublin, and Letterkenny.
“We are absolutely delighted to have been chosen as one of this year’s charities. All in ONE have a huge admiration and respect for the group to undertake such a challenge. We wish each and every one of them the greatest success and thank them for all their efforts. Without the continued support of all of our donors, we would not be able to fund our vital services for struggling veterans in need,” Defence Forces Veteran and CEO of ONE, Cormac Kirwan, said.
