Cancer Society gets €10K from Jimmy Aspell's Spout friends
"Twice as much money was raised this year as in 2015, thanks to some very brave people who took part in the sponsored Shave or Dye part of the fundraising," says Jimmy Aspell, who has led similar efforts on behalf of the Irish Cancer Society since 2010.
The annual campaign in The Spout includes a sponsored pitch and putt tournament in the Kilcullen Pitch & Putt Club, as well as an evening of music in the pub at which many of Jimmy's musical colleagues play. This year's one included a performance by legendary Irish rock and soul star Brush Shiels, as well as local band Badge and other musicians. All entertainers on the night gave their services free.
Accepting the cheque on behalf of the ICS, Brenda McCarthy said such events helped 54 terminal cancer patients in County Kildare receive 243 night care visits in 2015. "That allowed them spend their last days at home with their families," she said, adding that the Society also funded around 1,400 journeys for treatment in the county in the same year.
"This kind of community support is what allows us do these things. It's massively important for the people and families affected by cancer. But it also gets people talking about cancer, which is still something that people find it difficult to talk about. But with these kind of initiatives it helps. Talking to cancer survivors, for instance, breaks a kind of taboo."
Brenda noted that of some 10,000 cases of cancer diagnosed in Ireland last year, around 1,300 were in County Kildare. It's a policy of the Irish Cancer Society that funds raised in each county are allocated to that county.
Pictured at the presentation in The Spout are (front) Brenda McCarthy, Leah Prendergast, Riggy Reid, Trish Fanning, Christy Sweeney, Christy Enright; and (back) Jimmy Aspell, John Langan, and Tommy Dignam, proprietor of The Spout.
