More than €100k raised in Bryan’s Belgian Blue raffle
More than €100,000 has been raised in just six weeks by a small community in aid of a nine-year-old boy who is battling a rare neurological disease. The people of Moyvore, Milltown, Ballymore and surrounding areas sprang into action when Bryan Pendred was diagnosed with the disease – which affects only one in 1.5 million.
A raffle with 26 valuable prizes was organised and the first prize a superb Belgian Blue breeding heifer, donated by one of the committee members, was won by Rita Geraghty from Ballymore.
The Bryan’s Belgian Blue committee worked tirelessly over the six weeks, travelling to marts, filling stations and shops, standing for hours in the cold and wet, to achieve the staggering result. They sold tickets to family, friends, colleagues, anyone they could nab, and all for a little boy that was dear to their hearts.
Bryan’s life was turned upside down in early September when he was diagnosed with anti NMDA receptor encephalitis. He spent more than two weeks in intensive care in Crumlin Children’s Hospital, where he continues to be treated by the amazing team there and is reported to be making steady progress.
The €10 tickets went on sale on October 22 and as the campaign gathered momentum, donations of vouchers, hampers and other prizes flooded. And the momentum is still going with clubs, organisations and individuals making donations and funds raised from tractor runs, including a massive tractor run held in Ballynacargy recently, and other events, are still pouring in.
In a note on social media, Bryan’s mother Sarah said: “The Bryan’s Belgian Blue committee certainly don’t do things by halves! They travelled all over in an effort to raise funds for Bryan – from Carrigallen Mart in Leitrim to Carnaross Mart in Meath to O’Reilly’s Service Station, Ballinalack, to Harcourt Street in Dublin 2 – it is safe to say that no stone was left unturned.”
Sarah spoke of the difficult road that Bryan, herself and her family have been travelling and of the huge comfort it was to know that they had the support, good wishes and prayers of such a “decent, caring community”.
A committee member said: “The support we have received from the public has been astounding, from substantial donations to amazing prizes, we cannot say thank you enough.” The committee thanked everyone who bought a ticket, made a donation or gifted vouchers and prizes as it could not have been done without support from the public.
The raffle was held in McCawley’s, Moyvore, where Bryan’s great grandfather, Tom Cuffe, who celebrated his 88th birthday recently, pulled the winning ticket. Rita Geraghty from Ballymore was the lucky winner of the heifer.
Paul Hanglow from Elphin won €1,000 worth of Husqvarna equipment from CL Tool Hire. Enda Taylor from Tulsk, Roscommon, won home tickets for a Manchester United game at Old Trafford. Michael Gibney, Templepatrick, Moyvore, won two Garth Brooks tickets, and Adam McCarthy from Drumshambo won a hotel stay at the Torc Hotel, Killarney.
The draw which was strictly Covid compliant, was a great success and a total of 26 exceptional prizes went to winners from all parts of the country. Other winners included: Larry Kiernan, voucher for Nally’s Tyre Centre, Ballymahon; P Maguire, PressUp voucher; Ailbhe Jones, voucher for The Rustic Inn, Abbeyshrule; Michael Carey, JG Elite voucher; John Farrell, Freezer-ready lamb.
Sixteen fabulous hampers were won by: Shane Killian, Sean Cassidy, Rose Fay, Henry Kilmartin, Dermot Fagan, Nora Coakley, Shannon Walsh, Yad, Ronan Coyne, Churchtown Pub (Ardee), John Mulhall, Allie Murtagh, Ronan Kenny, James Keane, Larry Lyons, Martin McHugh.