Getting a Square deal from shoppers for ‘Pink Tie’
By Mary Dennehy
AOIBHEANN’S Pink Tie is overwhelmed by the determination of local firefighters and the generosity of shoppers in The Square after an eight-hour fundraising drive bagged €6,600 for the children’s cancer charity.
Set up in 2010 by Jimmy Norman and Mick Rochford after the tragic loss of Jimmy’s daughter Aoibheann to cancer at the age of eight, the charity provides financial and practical support for families.
The support offered by Aoibheann’s Pink Tie aims to take the day-to-day worries and burdens off families as they focus on their sick child, with supports offered including respite days, emergency financial support to help cover mortgage repayments, phone bills and transport costs, overnight bags for hospital wards and a friendly online support network.
Speaking to The Echo this week, Mick Rochford also said that some of the money raised will go towards providing children with Hickman dry suits which allow children undergoing cancer, who have a chemotherapy line fitted, to shower, bathe and swim.
Mick said: “We are absolutely overwhelmed by the amount of money raised by Nutgrove Fire Station at its recent fundraising drive in The Square shopping centre.
“Christmas is a very busy time for us and funds are always tight for us at the start of the year, so to receive this cheque really kickstarts 2016 for us.
“The money will go towards some new initiatives we will be announcing soon and also to providing Hickman dry suits to kids who have a line fitted which needs to be protected and kept dry.
“When we first started we had to raffle off these suits because of a lack of funds.
“However, now we provide one to every child that needs one in the country and it’s amazing to get pictures back of children being able to swim on their holidays because of these suits.”
He added: “Myself and Jimmy set up Aoibheann’s Pink Tie together.
“When Aoibheann was sick, the family’s friends and relatives rallied and raised a lot of money to support them, but from meeting other families it became clear that not all families have this level of support or may be isolated.
“We decided, in Aoibheann’s name, that no family would have to walk this journey alone.”
The fundraising drive held in The Square shopping centre, Tallaght, last month raised €6,300 with Westaid Medical Supplies donating a cheque for €360 – bumping the total up to €6,660.
It was organised by staff at Nutgrove Fire Station in Rathfarnham, who drafted in colleagues from other Dublin stations to help out on the day.
Visit www.aoibheannspinktie.ie
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