Marianne Flood
Reporter
The Foyle Hospice is celebrating the 18th year of its famous walk/run by inviting ex-pats from the North West to take part.
But rather than asking people to buy a plane ticket, the Hospice is encouraging them to do the walk in their adopted homes at 1.30pm, the same time as the local event kicks off.
Noel McMonagle, Community Fundraising Manager at the Hospice, said they hope the walk/run will go global.
“We are asking people to sign up now on line and we will send out a t-shirt to you," he said.
“So if you’re in New York, London, Dublin, Tokyo, Singapore, Sydney, Los Angeles or anywhere around the world you can join us in this event.
“We all know that Derry people are very generous with their time and we are hoping to have Foyle Hospice Female Walk/Run’s in every continent.”
All the money raised at the event will go into helping people in the local community living with cancer and other life limiting illnesses.
“You can walk run dander or get there as you wish it’s all about the craic you can go in fancy dress if you wish or go with family friends or work mates this being international women’s year let’s make your vote count vote with your feet and join your sisters on this walk/run,” said Mr McMonagle.
The funds raised from this event will help fund our services in the community including the home care team who last year made 3,220 visits The Foyle Hospice inpatient unit has 10 beds the average length of stay is 11 Days.
The Day Hospice had 1282 attendances last year.
Donations
“All services at Foyle Hospice are free of any charges to its users we rely on support from the local community and a grant from Health and Social Care Board,” added Mr McMonagle.
“It cost £500 to provide 24 hour care to a patient in our inpatient unit.
“It takes £8692 per day to keep the Hospice's services going in our community the bulk of this money comes from the community through donations, legacies, our shops, and events like the Female Walk/run so your support for this event is vital to our plans for palliative care services in our community.
“So your sponsorship is vital we would ask each participant to try and collect some sponsorship using our official sponsor forms or by creating an online sponsor form www.justgiving.com/foylehospice.”
The Derry Foyle Hospice Female Walk/Run will take place on Sunday, June 10, at 1.30pm from Templemore Sports Complex to Ebrington Square.
Pictured above: Administration assistant, Amy Healy, and Foyle Hospice volunteer, Mary McLaughlin, packing t-shirts to send to ex-pats who will be staging their own 'remote' Foyle Hospice Walk/Run this year.
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