Ferbane Foroige Stay Awake Raises Funds For Chernobyl
Thursday, 20 May 2010
The Ferbane Junior Foróige Club members ended their Club year on a high note last week with the presentation of a cheque for €1,500 to the Belmont/Ferbane/West Offaly Chernobyl Group. The enthusiastic group of teenagers organised a 24 Hour Sponsored Stay Awake to raise the funds, and decided to make their contribution to the West Offaly Chernobyl Fund to cover the cost of children coming from Belarus into the area for a month during the summer.
The Foróige members went door to door in the weeks leading up to the Stay Awake on 16th April seeking sponsorship from friends, family and neighbours. The newly opened Youth Café at Ferbane Heritage Centre proved an idyllic location for the event, with members making good use of the excellent recreational facilities there.
There was a more serious side to the night also. In the small hours of the morning, when adult Leaders were feeling the 'effects' and the teens were full of energy and enthusiasm, members whose families host children from Belarus shared their own experiences and related information about the Chernobyl disaster and its long term effects on the population. hotograph albums borrowed from local volunteers who have visited Belarus, information packs and videos on the internet also provided invaluable information. Members then completed a written evaluation detailing their goals, their learning and their feelings about this fund raising project.
Aideen Ryan, speaking on behalf of the Belmont/Ferbane/West Offaly Chernobyl Group, stressed the significance of this large financial contribution from the young people. 'This money will pay the cost for four children to come into our area for a month. One month of fresh air and good food will add two years to the life of each of those four children'.
Shane Byrne, Treasurer of the Junior Club thanked all the members for supporting the Stay Awake, and extended thanks to the Club Leaders for their help in organising the event. He thanked the local community and parents for their sponsorship of the event. This fund raiser was the culmination of a year long project by the combined membership of Ferbane Foróige and Ferbane Junior Foróige Clubs to raise funds for local voluntary and charitable organisations.
The 107 members of the two Clubs have had a productive and busy year, and helped many others in the community along the way. Firstly though, the young people have had enormous fun organising their discos, music events and Stay Awake and hope to continue again when the new Club Year begins in September.
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