Employees at Castlebar-based Pamex Ltd raised €45,346 for Sunflower Children’s Hospice. They did so by completing a 245km relay walk in just over 36 hours from Dublin to Castlebar to support the new children’s hospice in Mayo and following their return to Castlebar, they held a Family Fun Day at The Mall in Castlebar.
The ‘Linking Little Lives’ challenge took place in June, with members of the Pamex Ltd team walking continuously from Dublin to the site of the new Sunflower Children’s Hospice in Castlebar. This significant distance was chosen to reflect the long and difficult journey that families in the west of Ireland currently face when travelling to Dublin to access specialist children’s care.
The Pamex team was seen off at the beginning of the challenge by special guests, including RTÉ broadcaster Miriam O’Callaghan and Martina Jennings, CEO of Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation. The 245km route passed through seven counties including Dublin, Kildare, Meath, Westmeath, Roscommon, Galway and Mayo.
The incredible walk across Ireland concluded at the site of the future Sunflower Children’s Hospice – in the same week as a planning application was submitted.
For the final stretch of the journey, the Pamex team was joined by Chuck and Mairéad Dunford, parents of Kevin Dunford, who died in 2014. Kevin’s life, values and legacy have been a powerful inspiration for the Sunflower Children’s Hospice, with his family helping to communicate why specialist children’s palliative care is needed in the West of Ireland and the difference it will make for families on this journey. As the team reached the site of the future hospice, the walkers passed their sunflowers to the Dunford family, who laid them at the site.
The fundraising continued when the team arrived in Castlebar, where Pamex Ltd hosted a Family Fun Day in The Mall, bringing together employees, local schools, families and the wider community to celebrate the achievement and raise further funds for the hospice.
Running from 12pm to 4pm, the free family event transformed the heart of Castlebar into a festival of colour and community spirit, with live entertainment, food trucks, an exotic zoo, a dog show, vintage car displays, a mega games van, and a dunk tank drawing crowds throughout the afternoon.
The entertainment programme got underway at 1pm with Shake Rattle & Ceol, an interactive music session that had children and parents singing, dancing, and laughing together. From 2pm, Ciaran & Lisa took to the stage, delivering a lively mix of live music that kept the crowds on their feet right through to the close of the afternoon.
An extraordinary team effort from all at Pamex Ltd
The €45,346 raised builds on more than €16,000 previously raised by Pamex Ltd through a series of fundraising initiatives, including a Family Day in Portarlington, a wine and cheese evening, a schools colouring competition across Mayo and Galway, a skydive, and generous contributions from Pamex’s corporate partners.
Cormac Kearney, CEO of Pamex Ltd, said:
“We are absolutely delighted to have raised €45,346 for Sunflower Children’s Hospice and are incredibly proud of everyone who played a part in making ‘Linking Little Lives’ such a success.
“The 245km journey from Dublin to Castlebar was challenging, but it gave real meaning to what we were trying to achieve. Families in the west of Ireland should not have to travel long distances to access specialist care for their children, and we wanted our challenge to physically represent that journey while helping to bring these vital services closer to home.
“We received incredible support from our employees, families, schools, customers, corporate partners and the wider community. There has been a real sense of people coming together for something that will make a lasting difference. We are incredibly proud to support the development of Sunflower Children’s Hospice and the families it will serve on the western seaboard.”
Martina Jennings, CEO of Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation, said:
“We are hugely grateful to the whole Pamex team and everyone who supported this incredible, creative fundraising initiative. Raising €45,346 is an extraordinary achievement and will make a meaningful contribution to the development of Sunflower Children’s Hospice.
“Walking 245km was a particularly powerful way to highlight why this service is so important. For families caring for a child with a life-limiting illness, having access to specialist palliative and respite care closer to home can make an enormous difference. The Sunflower Children’s Hospice in Castlebar will provide a dedicated, welcoming environment where children and their families can receive the specialist care and support they need.” All of the funds raised will directly support the development of Sunflower Children’s Hospice, a dedicated facility that will provide specialist palliative and respite care for children and young people living with life-limiting illnesses, as well as emotional, practical and bereavement support for families across the west of Ireland.
Together, we can do so much.
Ireland’s first children’s hospice outside of Dublin.