More than 2,000 step it out on Memorial Walk for Hospice

Date Published: 13-Sep-2010

by Bernie Ní Fhlatharta

Over 2,000 people took part in Sunday’s Memorial Walk to raise funds for the Galway Hospice.

And though €200,000 was raised by last year’s walk, Hospice personnel said it would be a challenge to match that in this economic climate and yet this annual event accounts for the bulk of their fundraising.

There were more than the registered 2,000 walkers gathered at the Claddagh Hall before 2pm on Sunday when a rain shower scattered many who had possibly intended taking part in the walk to Blackrock and back.

Connacht Tribune Group Editor, Dave O’Connell launched the event by reminding people that the walk helped raise money to maintain the day care services at the Galway Hospice facilty in Renmore so that loved ones could enjoy life among a community that cared.

He said the walk and the Hospice had at least one thing in common and that was that it had more to do with life than death, that it was celebratory of life and dedicated to the memory of loved ones whose lives were being celebrated by their family and friends.

Many walkers sported specially printed t-shirts that bore the name of loved ones who had been cared for by the Hospice and indeed some others had photographs of their loved ones pinned to their t-shirts

Read more in this week’s Connacht Sentinel