LONDON HAD BLAINE NOW FERMOY HAS O’KANE
With just over 24 hours until Fermoy’s ‘Hoisted for Haiti’ event gets underway, excitement and anticipation is building throughout the community.
On Friday afternoon, at the re-scheduled time of 4pm, local man Conor O’Kane will be hoisted above the town square outside Joe Murphys, where he will fast and remain on view to interested spectators, for close on 48 hours.
The event is very much a community project and local families and individuals are encouraged to come in to Fermoy over the weekend to participate in the fundraising drive and support Conor.
The objective of the fundraising event is to raise at least €20,000 so that Conor can bring four local tradesmen back to Haiti with him in October for Haven’s third house building exercise.
Speaking recently to The Avondhu, Conor explained, “Should we raise sufficient funds for five of us to travel in October the broader community of Fermoy and the town itself can be proud of the fact that they will have been wholly responsible for the construction of three houses for the people of Haiti.”
Conor continues, “While the nature of the fundraiser itself is unique, the real attractiveness is the fact that it provides something visible and tangible for the people to contribute to, and they know that there will be an end product to their contribution.”
Conor travelled to Haiti in October 2009 on a house-building trip with the Haven Foundation, founded by Cork businessman and vice president of Digicel, Leslie Buckley.
At the time, the project involved building 1,000 houses over a three year period. However, since the devastating earthquake Haven have now given an undertaking to build 10,000 houses in the coming years as the people of Haiti set about their recovery.
Encouragingly, it emerged in the days after the earthquake that all the houses and benefitting families from the first trip in October had survived the events of early January.
Despite the overwhelming support and response so far, Conor is still welcoming further enquiries from tradesmen and people who wish to volunteer for a number of hours over the weekend. Further information can be acquired from John on 087-6608444. All donations can be lodged to AIB Fermoy, SC: 936081, Acc: 20098098.
Published:
Thursday 11th February 5:40pm
