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Teacher donates €6,281 to Donegal
ASI
13.11.19
A TEACHER from Donegal,
Elaine McConnell, has sent a massive and heartfelt
thank you to everyone who supported her during a
145km ‘Home-to-Home’ fundraising walk which raised
€6,281 for the Donegal Branch of the Alzheimer
Society of Ireland (ASI).
Elaine and her dog, Lucy, completed the fundraising
walk over three days from her home in East Belfast
to her family home in St Johnston last July.
She split the total raised of over €12,726 between
the ASI's Donegal Branch and Alzheimer's Society in
Northern Ireland. |
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Elaine's ‘Home-to-Home’
fundraising walk, with her dog Lucy, raised €6,281
for the Alzheimer Society of Ireland's Donegal Branch. |
Elaine, who works as a
behaviour support teacher in Longstone Special
School in Dundonald, Belfast, left her home in East
Belfast at 7.00am on Friday, 5th July and arrived in
her family home for a special barbecue with family
and friends in St Johnston on the Sunday evening,
7th July.
Dementia is very close to Elaine’s heart and she was
inspired to organise this solo adventure by her
uncle, Bill McVitty, who lived with dementia for 10
years; Bill was always trying to ‘go home’ which is
where the idea of ‘Home to Home’ came from. Bill
sadly passed away in May after being cared for at
home by his wife, Doreen, for many years.
Elaine completed the challenging walk in Bill’s
memory and was taken aback by the generosity and
support that she received from family, friends,
colleagues and members of the public which she
described as “absolutely phenomenal”.
There are an estimated 2,000 people living with
dementia in Donegal.
The Alzheimer Society of Ireland provides numerous
services in Donegal including Day Care, Social
Clubs, Alzheimer Cafes and Home Care and also has an
active Donegal Branch Office. |
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