13 January 2017

12 Muskerry Arms regulars ditched their razors for the month, and on December 2nd they came together for the big charity shave off and fancy dress in the popular Blarney pub. Karen and Sharon from Blarney Barbers did the honours of removing any trace of facial hair, with one brave man having his head shaved too!

 

Funds were raised through sponsorship of the shave participants and donations from customers, and those involved presented a cheque for €5,500 to the Mercy Hospital Foundation’s Kids + Teens Appeal on January 7th in The Muskerry Arms. A further €270 was donated on the night, bringing the total to €5,770.

 

Funds raised will be invested in critical areas of paediatric services at the Mercy University Hospital, specifically towards an upgrade of the Leukaemia unit bedrooms, which will include the purchase of three profiling beds, new recliners for parents staying overnight to comfort their children, and entertainment for children who are patients in the form of Playstations and XBoxes to help them pass the time during their hospital stay.

 

Funds will also help fund the POONS mobile paediatric oncology nursing service. This crucial service allows children who are suffering from Leukaemia to be treated in their own homes. The service covers a large geographical area from Youghal to Bantry and Mitchelstown to Kinsale, as well as surrounding counties so that all children have access to this service regardless of their location.

 

Organiser of the Muskerry Arms Shave Off, Gary O’Connor said “I’d like to thank our team at The Muskerry Arms and our great customers who came together to help raise funds for such a worthy cause. You never know when someone close to you may need the services at The Mercy, so we decided that it would be good to do anything we could to make patients’, in particular children’s, hospital stays a bit more comfortable.”

 

Speaking at the cheque presentation on January 7th, Michelle Murphy, Corporate and Events Fundraiser at the Mercy Hospital Foundation said “Our mission is to inspire people to support advancements in research, diagnosis, treatments and care of patients at The Mercy University Hospital, the People’s Hospital. We promise to do our very best to provide you with a world class hospital, right on your doorstep, and this is only possible through the help of our supporters and donors like the Muskerry men who braved to shave in aid of the Children’s Leukaemia Unit.”

 

For further information on the Mercy Kids + Teens Appeal call (021) 4274076 or visit www.mercyfundraising.ie.