Sports legends will be guests at fundraising event for Waterford Rapid Response Vehicle appeal
Pictured outside The Old Bank, Dungarvan at the official fundraising appeal to support the cause for West Waterford's Rapid Response Vehicle are Donnchadh Fahey(Paramedic), Lisa Cronin (Volunteer), Gemma Delaney (WLR FM), Michael Ryan (Chairperson), Karen Walsh (First Responder) and Edel Curry (Volunteer). Photo by Nathan Burke Photography.
A fundraising drive currently taking place in County Waterford will see two of the most iconic names in sport attend an event in the Déise county next month.
Ronan O’Gara and Ian Rush will be the special guests at a ‘Breakfast with the Stars’ event due to take place in Dungarvan in August, to help raise money for procuring and establishing a Rapid Response Vehicle for West Waterford.
That event is one of many being organised by a voluntary community fundraising group that was set up recently with the specific aim of establishing a West Waterford Rapid Response Vehicle (WWRRV).
To support the cause The Sportsman’s Bar and Restaurant, in Cappoquin, hosted a very successful initial awareness event and the launch of the appeal took place at the Old Bank, in Dungarvan.
The WWRRV is a critical emergency vehicle designed to save lives and the team behind the campaign is led by Chairperson, Michael Ryan, with support from a group of very enthusiastic local volunteers.
In attendance at the event in Cappoquin were well known Waterford sports stars and local supporters including Dan Shanahan, Donnacha Mulcahy and Cathal Wilkinson.
In addition to Mr Ryan, the volunteer team behind the initiative was represented by Head of Communications, Phil Donnelly, and volunteer, Peter Burke.
There were also people in attendance from local communities such as Cappoquin, Lismore, Tallow and Melleray, who were delighted to give their support to an initiative aimed at saving lives in West Waterford.
Speaking about the overall aim of the campaign, Mr Ryan said: “It is our goal to raise sufficient funding to procure and operate a state-of-the-art emergency vehicle with advanced medical facilities.”
“This rapid response vehicle for West Waterford will have the capacity to bring the A&E to the scene of a critical emergency with cutting-edge equipment to facilitate effective medical intervention, all carried out by a volunteer doctor and paramedics, skilled in emergency medicine,” he said.
“On behalf of countless lives, we are asking for your support in our fundraising endeavours,” added Mr Ryan.
The West Waterford Rapid Response Group was also delighted to announce that it will be hosting the very special, ‘Breakfast with the Stars’ event on Friday, August 23, in Grattan Square, Dungarvan.
The attendance of sporting legends Ronan O’Gara and Ian Rush is sure to attract a lot of interest across Waterford.
Tickets for the event can be booked online through https://www.eventbrite.com/e/breakfast-with-the-stars-tickets912764762977 However, there is also a GoFundMe page through which members of the public can give their support to the cause. Donations can be made online at https://www.gofundme.com/f/raise-for-rapid-response-vehicle-for-west-waterford Any local communities or organisations interested in hosting a fundraising event can email westwrapidresponse@outlook.com
