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Mid
West Radio’s Presenters set themselves an enormous chall-enge
to raise 100,000 Euro in seven days, the monies raised will go to
seven charities in Mayo.
Seven presenters took on seven challenges to raise the money, the Sports
department set out to find the brainiest pub in Mayo, Station Manager
Chris Carroll organised one hundred line dancers to do
two performances at Ballinrobe races, C.E.O.
Paul Claffey put on four shows in Mulranny, Belmullet, Swinford and
Ballina in one day. Tommy Marron wrote a play The Banshee of Crokey
Hill, the play was staged at The Royal Theatre in Castle-bar, Viv Brennan
set out to find the best factory singer in Mayo, Padraic Walsh invited
fifty people to raise two hundred each and they would be taken on a
mystery coach tour and David Cawley organsied a massive sale and auction
in Castlebar.
Pub
Quiz and Line Dancing
The
first event kicked off at 9pm on Monday evening July 23rd. This
was the pub quiz to find the brainiest pub in the County, pubs
were invited to send a team of four to various locations within
the county, the entry fee was One Hundred Euro.
There was a massive response to the appeal for contestants and
a great night was had by all with a pub for Kilkelly being the
overall winners. All monies raised went to The Mayo – Roscommon Hospice.
On Tuesday evening Chris Carroll and one hundred line dancers
turned up at Ballinrobe races, they put on a fantastic display
between the third and fourth race. The capacity crowd gave the
dancers a standing ovation.
Sky Sports were covering the races on the evening. Sky TV’s
Producer was so impressed by the dancers and the money raising idea
that he broadcast the dancers performance live on Sky TV.
The “Make a Wish Foundation” was the recipients of
Forty Four Thousand Euro.
Fours
Shows in Four Venues - in one day
Paul
Claffey’s challenge started at 10am
at The Park Hotel in Mulranny. I was amazed to see Four Hundred
people turn up so early to enjoy a one and a half hour show.
The artists performing on stage were Jimmy Buckley, Mike Denver,
Patrick Feeney, and Mick Flavin, Matt Keane, Robert Mizzell,
Frank Mc Caffrey, the Molly Brothers and comedian Conal Gallen.
The show was a fantastic success with the audience giving the
artists a standing ovation at the end of the performance.
Next show was at 1pm in the Broadhaven Hotel in Belmullet. We
arrived at 12.30pm and again were stunned to see five hundred
people eagerly awaiting the show to start. Just after one the
performance got under-way, all the artists had arrived and were
joined by a local man Michael S Togher, it was then on to Swinford
for the 4pm show.
We experienced very bad traffic and a lot of road-works on our
way so the show was 50 minutes late starting.
We were joined by Emily and Brendan Shine and drummer Johnny
Dawson, they flew in from Cleveland earlier in the day and drove
direct from Shannon Airport to Swinford.
The show finished just after 6.30pm and we set off for the short
drive to the new Ramada Hotel on the outskirts of Ballina, this
show got underway at 9pm and continued to almost midnight. Again
the six hundred strong crowd really enjoyed every minute of the
performance.
It was a very long day but a very fruitful day with almost Twenty
Thousand raised for The Friends of the Sacred Heart Hospital
in Castlebar. Great credit to all the artists who gave their
time free and performed at all four shows.
The
Banshee of Crokey Hill
Tommy
Marron wrote and produced the play, it was set in the West of Ireland
in the early 1980s, and it had a lot of humour and yet tinged with
sadness.
The story related to a man who left his home at a young age and
emigrated to Manchester. He met a girl in Manchester and fell
in love and they had their wedding date set, he returned home
for the first time in thirteen years to tell his parents and
to get his birth certificate. There were great celebrations in
the family home and all the neighbours turned up for a party
to welcome the young man home. The following day he asked for
his birth certificate and his parents were not helpful in finding
it for him, it turned out he was adopted. The storyline went
on that his auntie who was unmarried had twins a boy and a girl,
he was adopted by his aunties sister and her husband and his
real mother went to England with the baby girl.
Another sad twist to the play was the girl he was engaged to
and about to marry was his twin Sister, he became very angry.
Shots were fired in the final scene ending the mystery of the
Banshee of Crokey Hill.
At the end of the play the Seven Hundred and Fifty audience gave
the performers a standing ovation.
Mayo Mental Health Association were the recipients of the money
raised on the door and the raffle, the play was performed at
the Royal Theatre in Castlebar.
Best
Factory Singer and Mystery Tour
Friday
Evening we had moved on to the Park Hotel in Kiltimagh to find
the best Factory singer in Mayo, this event was organised by Viv
Brennan and was called “The VIV Factor”.
Four major companies in the county were represented, Baxter,
Allergan, Hollister and D-Care, each singer had to perform two
songs, we had text voting and each singer had sponsor cards as
well, so who ever had the most sponsors and texts was the winner.
A lady called Carmel Bolster from Baxter’s was the winner.
There was a full house for the event and it was broadcast live
on Mid West Radio.
St Vincent De Paul was the chosen charity for Viv’s challenge.
Saturday Morning Padraic Walsh set off on a mystery tour around
the county with fifty people who were asked to raise at least
Two Hundred each; in fact the fifty had raised a sta-ggering
Thirty Five Thousand Euro.
The group was treated to a great day, which included a visit
to the Delphi Adventure Centre, Hennigan’s Heritage Farm and a Gala
Dinner in The Castlecourt Hotel in Westport. All the places visited
were kindly sponsored by the proprietors including the Gala Dinner.
All the money raised by Padraic was donated to Mayo
Autism.
Massive
Sale and Auction
On
Sunday morning just after 7am we all assembled at The Royal Theatre
in Castlebar to prepare for the final fundraiser.
There was a steady flow of people coming in vans and cars with
items for the sale, several people took tables, sold
the items they had collected and donated themselves, many companies
donated new items and hotels donated vouchers.
At noon when the doors were opened there was a least Five
Hundred waiting to pick up a bargain.
Eighteen Thousand Euro was raised and all donated to Cancer Action
Mayo.
Finally it was a hectic week, the goodwill and kindness we
experienced was heartwarming.
As I write this story One Hundred and Sixty Five Thousand Euro
has been raised and there is still some more to come in.
It is believed that this is the first time a Seven Day Challenge
was organised by a Radio Station, great credit to all concerned.
Until the next time its Goodbye and God Bless from The Hills
of Sligo. |
