Barretstown children’s charity today launches its national Christmas appeal for vital funds to help ‘Sprinkle Some Magic’ for children affected by cancer and other serious illnesses this Christmas. As part of this year’s appeal, the charity has once again, teamed up with Flahavan’s, to produce ‘Magical Reindeer Food’ which is now available to purchase for €2 in Applegreen and Dealz stores nationwide, with 100% of the proceeds of each packet going directly to the charity.
Barretstown Ambassador and world-renowned mentalist Keith Barry was joined by Barretstown camper sisters Clodagh (9) and Aoife (11) Keyes, and brothers Eoin (9), Cathail (7), John (5) and Patrick (5) Holohan to officially launch the appeal.
Cathail at just age four endured over three years of chemotherapy for treatment of leukaemia and Clodagh was just ten months old when she was diagnosed with a tumour, as a result of a rare genetic disorder called DICER1. Both Cathail and Clodagh, and their families have spent time at family camps in Barretstown where they received 24/7 onsite medical care as well as being involved in therapeutic programmes, tending to both their physical and psychosocial needs.
Barretstown is the largest and most established provider in Ireland of therapeutic camps and programmes, which provides for the unmet psychosocial needs of children and teenagers impacted by cancer and other serious illnesses. Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, the charity has served over 125,000 campers to date and is projected to support over 250,000 seriously ill children and families by the end of the decade.
All services provided to children and their families at Barretstown are free of charge, with only 4% of funding provided by the government with the remainder supported by donations and the fundraising efforts of corporate supporters, individuals, and community groups.
Commenting at the launch, Keith Barry, Mentalist and Barretstown Ambassador said: “Barretstown is a truly magical place that has been bringing joy and hope to children for 30 years. It’s an honour to support such an incredible charity, dedicated to transforming the lives of children affected by cancer and other serious illnesses. The real magic lies in seeing the smiles, laughter, and wonder on the campers' faces as they rediscover the joy of simply being children. So, this Christmas, I ask people to make a real difference in the life of a seriously ill child and pick up some magical reindeer food.”
Dee Ahearn, CEO of Barretstown added: "At Barretstown, our mission is to rebuild the lives of children and families who have been affected by cancer and other serious illnesses, and we have proudly served over 125,000 campers in the last 30 years. The 'Sprinkle Some Magic' campaign is a vital part in this, in allowing us to raise funds and further develop our services.
We want to say a huge thank you to Flahavan’s, Applegreen and Dealz, our fantastic partners for the Magical Reindeer Food and their continued generosity and commitment to supporting Barretstown and enabling us to serve campers, year on year.
Together, we can bring some magic back into Christmas for families who are experiencing the stark reality of childhood cancer and other serious illnesses. Please support Barretstown and pop into your local Applegreen or Dealz store to help sprinkle the magic this Christmas”.
There are many ways the public can support Barretstown this Christmas. To learn more about the ‘Sprinkle Some Magic’ campaign, visit www.barretstown.org/christmas
