Paddy goes ‘above and beyond’ for sick children

Paddy goes ‘above and beyond’ for sick children

By William O'Connor

RETIREE Paddy Brennan has raised over €359,000 for CMRF Crumlin, to help some of Ireland’s sickest children.

Paddy (64) who has been fundraising for CMRF Crumlin for 20 years, has been praised by the charity for ‘going above and beyond’ to help tiny patients in Crumlin hospital.

Paddy Brennan 2

“From the age of five to 14 I attended Crumlin Hospital,” said Paddy from Templeogue.

“I had mastoiditis, a condition to do with the ear, and missed time in school. I always said when I was older that I would do something for the hospital because they’d helped me.

"I’ve been fundraising for CMRF Crumlin for 20 years now and raised €359,000 for sick children since then. When you have a personal connection with a charity, it makes you want to give back and to help in any way you can.”

Paddy, who received the Big Hero Certificate last week explained that he got involved in fundraising in a gym in town when he was in his twenties when a man, Michael Roche, was telling the owner of the gym about a fundraising challenge they were doing for Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital.

Paddy had told the owner of the gym about his ear condition because it affected his balance, so he knew he would have been in there as a child.

He called Paddy over and Michael Roche said they were doing a walking challenge in San Diego the following year, 1999, to raise funds for sick children.

That’s how Paddy’s interest in fundraising kicked off and he has been doing it ever since.

Between coffee mornings, bucket collections, raffles, head shaves, duck races, challenges and more, Paddy has done a lot of fundraising for Crumlin since 1998.

He has done about 20 challenges which involved travelling abroad to do activities, some years he would even do two challenges to raise more funds. Paddy said, “It was far from a holiday, and in those days over a hundred people were going on the fundraising trips.”

Paddy still does bucket collections and counter collections now.

He also has a walking group on a Tuesday morning which starts at 10am and finishes about 11am.

“One of my top moments was the first head shave we did in 2001,” said Paddy.

Businesses have been great

“That idea was brand new at the time and was such a different and extreme way to fundraise. We had wall to wall prizes for a raffle and about 22 people there on the night in the local pub to get their heads shaved.

“Three professional hairdressers came to do the shaving and we raised about €20,000 altogether. We had a few talent shows and bingo nights which raised a lot of money too.

“I’m known around the Crumlin and Perrystown/Manor Estate area. People know that I’ve been fundraising for the hospital for years and I’ve built up a lot of trust. Businesses have been great, donating raffle prizes over the years.

“I’ve had loads of jerseys signed by county and country teams, in football and rugby too. People really are very good and everyone has some sort of link with the hospital so they want to help if they can,” he concluded.

TAGS
Share This