First ever virtual Santa Dash raises €8,358 for aged related services
By Mary Dennehy
THE team at Tallaght University Hospital has thanked the community for helping them raise more than €8,000 for age related services.
Local people and businesses united in support of the hospital’s first ever virtual Santa Dash, which invited members of the public to don a Santa hat and walk for older services.
At the launch of the TUHF Santa Dash in November were Emma Kennedy (Managing Director, The Echo), Eamonn Egan (President of South Dublin Chamber) with Molly and Lucy, and Kelly Crowley (Head of Development, Tallaght University Hospital Foundation)
A total of €8,358 was raised, all of which will go towards developing Europe’s first centre of excellence for aging research and gerontechnology on the hospital campus.
In an interview with The Echo before Christmas, Professor Sean Kennelly of Tallaght University Hospital (TUH) said that Tallaght is one of the most rapidly aging urban populations in the EU.
Prof Kennelly said the centre will be part of an ‘eco-system’ that will support people as they age, and alongside including services will include the use of technology to help identify issues before they become a problem.
There is also huge emphaisis on caring for people within their own communities, their own homes, and reducing their need to spend time in hospital.
“We want to play our part in developing an eco-system that involves GPs, chemists, active retirement groups and part of that support network is [TUH]”, he said.
“It’s also about making sure that people don’t fall through the cracks in the system.”
In December and January, members of the public and local businesses walked, jogged and ran in their local area for older aged services.
In a comment to The Echo this week, Kelly Crowley, Head of Development at the Tallaght University Hospital Foundation (TUHF) said: “Thank you so much to everyone who took part in the 2020 TUHF Santa Dash.
“The Santa Dash was the Tallaght University Hospital Foundation’s first ever virtual event.
“We were thrilled with the response.
“Thank you to everybody who took part and fundraised for our age related services.
“Together we raised €8,358.
“These funds will be put to hard work developing Europe’s first centre of excellence for ageing research and gerontechnology.
“We were incredibly lucky to have great partners in The Echo Newspaper and South Dublin Chamber.
“Thank you to their teams and all our sponsors.”
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