Club Óige Breannáinn raises funds for Ski Lankan orphans

The gift of love

Feothneach Youth Club, Club Óige Breannáinn are sending their best wishes to Ski Lanka this Christmas as they have managed to raise almost €400 for orphans in St. Anthony's Orphanage in Ski Lanka in an effort to give them the things that we take for granted. The youth club which operates totally as Gaeilge for 11-16 year olds raised the funds through bag-packing and other activities, aware of the fact that €3 feeds a child at the orphanage for a week. The conscirntious young people presented the funds to Dónal MacGearailt of Baile an Lochaigh who is currently running a massive fundraising drive for the Orphanage in Columbo, Sri Lanka, a region devastated by civil war and the 2005 Tsunami in South East Asia.Dónal himself will travel to the orphanage in the New Year to present the funds, including €1,300 that was raised in Gallarus earlier this year when An Ghaeltacht took on Feale Rangers earlier this year. The West Kerry man was motivated to take on the task of fundraising when he travelled to Ski Lanka to act as best man at the wedding of his best friend Tony Arulanndam.The newlyweds had asked that their guests to make a donation to the Orphanage instead of giving them presents. The wedding party, including Dónal, then went to the orphanage to bestow presents on the children. "Their faces just lit up" said Donál "many of these children have no one left in the world and receiving even just a small gift means the world to them."Dónal hopes to return to the orphanage in the New Year with the funds raised in West Kerry. He is urging local people who wish to do something different for a Christmas gift this year to think of the orphanage. "It costs only €3 to feed a child at the orphanage for a week; our Euros really go a long way out there" said Donal.

An account has been opened Credit Union in Dingle for those who wish to contribute to St.Anthony's Orphanage; A/C 4996 D.

Club Óige Breannáinn presented funds raised for St. Anthony's Orphanage in Ski Lanka last Friday night in Halla na Feothneach to Dónal MacGearailt of Baile an Lochaigh. Pictured front, l-r, Alanagh Johnson, Ellen Ritson and Katie Fitzgerald. Back, l-r, Dónal MacGearailt, Shonagh Begley, Sorcha Ní Bhruic, Edel Breathneach, Natalie Johnson and Róisín Breathnach.