Will’s virtual quiz…big finale this Friday!
When the announcement of a national lockdown came, a Roscommon man, Will Keane, saw it as an opportunity to do some good for charities whose demand has increased due to the crisis. He decided to run a quiz from his kitchen table each week in aid of a different charity.
“The idea was inspired by fundraising activities being organised for Daffodil Day being shut down overnight,” the 39-year-old farmer says.
“I decided to do my little bit to raise some much-needed funds for a very worthy cause. I have being running quizzes for years in the village of Knockcroghery for the Jack and Jill Foundation and decided to try out bringing the concept online in a virtual live quiz!”
The first fundraiser raised €2,500 for the Irish Cancer Society and those taking part expressed an interest in this being a weekly event. Since that first quiz, Will and his ‘quizzers’ have raised over €11,000 for Crumlin Children’s Hospital, Alone, The Samaritans and Women’s Aid.
“As well as running a quiz I wanted there to be two hours in the week where we forgot about the coronavirus and I try and create as much fun as possible. We have a live music round with me playing tunes on the melodica – badly – and each week we have a different theme where players send in pictures of themselves in that theme!”
Competitors have so far dressed up in silly hats, as cartoon characters and as the cast of Father Ted.
This week marks the last Kitchen Table Quiz and Will is running it for a cause close to his heart.
“A friend of mine, Irene Beirne, had been raising huge amounts of money and awareness for the Mayo/Roscommon Hospice. Last year Irene sadly lost her own battle with cancer and we are raising money for a Garden Pod in her honour”.
The garden pod will be installed in the grounds of the Roscommon Hospice, which is currently being constructed in the county town. Will is hoping to raise €5,000 towards this project in this Friday’s quiz.
The theme of this week’s quiz is ‘County Colours’, and Will is encouraging participants to dress up in their county or club colours.
“I’m guaranteeing pure madness in this final quiz. Expect 10 rounds of questions, picture rounds, the melodica music round and of course dingbats. As this week is Irish county themed, we will cover the 32 counties in our questions”, promises Will.
You can find details of the event on Facebook under Will’s Kitchen Table Quiz for Mayo Roscommon Hospice. The Quiz kicks off at 9 pm on Friday, May 1st on Facebook Live. A donation of €10 is requested for those who are in a position to do so.
Transition Year students raise almost €11,000 for Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation
Two transition year students at CBS Roscommon have raised almost €11,000 for Mayo/Roscommon Hospice.
Tommie O’Hara and Sean McCormack were organisers of a huge tractor run that happened in Roscommon Town at the beginning of March.
The tractor run was in memory of Tommie’s sister, Tracey Brennan, who came to prominence having campaigned for the drug Pembrolizumab to be available to all cervical cancer patients. Tracey passed away last year.
Tommie and Sean came up with the idea of a tractor run for their transition year project, as they are both ‘into tractors’, according to Tommie. Over 200 tractors turned out for the event, held on 8th of March in Roscommon Mart. Following the run and a raffle held on the day, a total of €10,736.65 was raised for Mayo/Roscommon Hospice.
CEO of Mayo/Roscommon Hospice Martina Jennings said: “We were blown away by the amount raised by the tractor run and the fact that Tommie and Sean are two transition year students and are still so young but still decided to organise something that will benefit so many palliative care patients. They truly are incredible young men”.
