Get your glad rags on!
Plans for this year’s County Mayor’s Charity Gala are taking shape with Cancer Connect and CoAction West Cork announced as the beneficiaries.
Tickets are now on sale for the not to be missed event which includes a drinks reception, three-course dinner, special guests including comedian Chris Kent, music, dancing and a charity raffle with fantastic prizes. The gala will take place on 3 May at the West Cork Hotel, Skibbereen.
Cancer Connect provides complimentary, flexible, and confidential transportation for cancer treatments at hospitals in Cork. Its dedicated team of over 500 volunteer drivers offer reliable transport to radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and other cancer-related services for everyone in County Cork.
CoAction was founded by a group of parents in West Cork in 1974 to enable their children with disabilities to be supported within their local community. Today it provides a wide range of services for children and adults across West Cork. This includes day services, respite, residential, home supports, homeshare and multidisciplinary supports for adults with an intellectual disability. Children with an intellectual disability can access respite, home supports, Saturday clubs and summer camps.
Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr Joe Carroll said: “It is an opportunity to celebrate and to showcase West Cork, but more importantly it is an opportunity to support the incredible work of two charities who are making a huge difference to the lives of the people they support. Cancer Connect provide so much more than a spin to hospital, their volunteers bring compassion, friendship and community support. CoAction’s dedication to helping each person to reach their full potential and live the life that they choose is truly remarkable. I am inviting everyone to join us for a fantastic evening and help to raise funds for two very worthy causes.”
Helen O’Driscoll, Manager of Cancer Connect said: “As a donations-based initiative, we depend on community support to maintain and enhance our services, ensuring that transportation remains accessible to all. In 2024, we experienced a 20% increase in demand for our transportation services, highlighting the urgent need for additional funding to meet this growth. We are immensely grateful to the Mayor of County Cork for his support, as his partnership will raise awareness of our mission and help us secure the necessary resources to continue our vital work.”
Jillian Connolly, CEO of CoAction, said: “The continued success and growth of CoAction over the past 50 years is thanks to the support of the West Cork Community and beyond. It is an honour to be nominated as beneficiaries. Fundraisers like this help us to broaden the services we provide to individuals and their families and enhance the lives of the children and adults we support.
We are currently planning for their 2025 summer camps for children and the proceeds of this wonderful event will greatly assist in our ability to ensure the children have a great time this summer.”