Fiona Brady of Living Links accepts a cheque of €6,810, part proceeds of the Blacksod Challenge in Erris, organised by Gerry Casey, Sarah Flood and John Maughan in conjunction with Kilmore Triathlon Club. Also pictured is Caroline Costello (Ulster Bank), Gerry Casey, John Maughan, Thomas Geoghegan, chairman, Kilmore Triathlon Club, and Sarah Flood. Pic Michael DonnellyTHE Mayo Living Links Tri event, which was held in conjunction with the Blacksod Point Challenge Triathlon in Belmullet on September 22, proved to be an outstanding success.

A Triathlon Ireland sanctioned national event, it raised over a staggering €12,000, which was €2,000 plus more

than their projected target.

The Mayo Living Links Tri event was set up by John Maughan, Gerry Casey and Sarah Flood with the support  of The Connaught Telegraph, Exposure, Elverys Sports, Kilmore Tri Club, Cox’s Bars & Restaurants and Snap Mayo.

The aim was to highlight the increase in suicide victims in the Mayo area and to support organisations dedicated to the prevention of suicide in our society and also the organisations who support people who have had to deal with a suicide in their lives.

On Friday night cheques were presented to the Living Links charity at a special function in Cox’s, Tucker Street, Castlebar. Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Gerry Casey said their fundraising venture was a an outstanding success and he thanked everyone who had helped make it the great success it was.

Elisha COleman at rehearsals for Take The Floor 2012 at the Helix in DublinA MAYO teenager with a life threatening heart condition has said Irish dancing is  helping her back to health.

Elisha Coleman, 15, started rehearsals earlier this month to perform in a dance  production created by stars from Riverdance.

The Claremorris schoolgirl, who has been dancing since she was four and once qualified at the world championships, had her first heart attack five years ago.

But she has since undergone major surgery three times – the most recent and successful last August - and is now gearing up to perform with dancers from a dozen other countries in ‘Take The Floor’ at the Helix, Dublin, tomorrow (Wednesday).

“I’ve been well on the road to recovery since my last operation, thank God,” said Elisha.

“I’m now on no medication for the first time in years and I feel great. Everyone keeps

telling me I’m like a new woman.”

suicide supportTALK about your worries. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

These are two of the key messages that the Mayo Suicide Working Group want to impart to every section of the community in the county.

Two representatives of the group - Ms. Mary O’Sullivan, resource officer for suicide prevention, HSE West - and Maire Ní Dhomhnaill, counsellor with the Family Resource Centre, Castlebar, addressed the July meeting of Mayo County Council.

They gave a joint presentation on the work of the group, which acts as an umbrella body, helping to coordinate the activities of the many voluntary and statutory organisations working in the area of mental health and suicide prevention in the county.

In a follow-up statement to their presentation, Ms. Ní Dhomhnaill outlined: “We were very pleased with the welcome we were given in the council chamber and hugely encouraged by the support offered by the councillors.

“Contrary to the impression that might have been given by some reports in local media last week there is a comprehensive range of services in the county aimed at assisting people experiencing challenges to their mental wellbeing or who may be in danger of suicide.

pietahouseORGANISERS of a public meeting to discuss the feasibility of setting up a suicide intervention and crisis centre in the west were very pleased with the show of support in the Harlequin Hotel on Wednesday last, in Castlebar.

The aim is to establish a Pieta House in Tuam, Co. Galway, that will serve the counties of Galway, Mayo and Roscommon.

The main speakers at the meeting were John Concannon, managing director of JFC, Tuam, who is driving the campaign in the west of Ireland, Joan Freeman, CEO and founder of Pieta House, who provided insights into the Pieta House successes to date, and Frankie Flynn, HSE psychologist.

“It was a very positive meeting. The support and willingness from people to establish a Pieta House in the west was obvious,” said John Concannon.

“On average, it will cost €250,000 annually to run Pieta House in the west. It may sound like a lot of money but with this cost shared amongst three counties there’s no doubt we will make it happen.

“Already several companies and individuals have made large donations to Pieta House, including one donation of €20,000 this week. We’re in talks with the HSE to secure a house located in Toghermore, Tuam.”

 

Store managers and staff from Kavanagh SuperValu stores in Mayo launched their upcoming fun walk Sunflower Sunday, which takes place on July 1 on the Westport Greenway

AS part of their innovative new campaign called ‘Help Us To Help Others’ staff, customers and community of  Kavanagh’s SuperValu Mayo alike will take to the greenway, Westport, on Sunday, July 1, at 2 p.m. for a 5k fun run/walk in aid of the Mayo Roscommon Hospice.

Mayo GAA captain, and community development officer of Mayo Roscommon Hospice, Andy Moran, was delighted to assist the Kavanagh’s SuperValu team launch the Sunflower Sunday 5km fun run/walk on the Westport greenway and will be coming along to join the team on July 1.

John Page, manager of Kavanagh’s SuperValu, Castlebar, extends a warm welcome to everyone who would like  to dress up in yellow or in the sunflower theme, the signature symbol of the hospice, to run, jog or walk.

He said: “Bring your family and friends and register now for the 5k fun run/walk in any of our four Mayo stores and come along to the first of many novel fundraising events in aid of a very worthy cause. Registration costs €10 and all proceeds go to the Mayo Roscommon Hospice.”

Johnny Oosten

 BACK in 2007 Johnny Oosten came up with an idea. This centred primarily on creating awareness and raising vitalfunds for children with autism in Ireland by means of the Croagh Patrick Seven Days in a Row challenge.

Five years on he has certainly achieved that, having raised €534,000 for the cause (www.croaghpatrickchallenge.com).

March 18 (bank holiday) will be the date for his next venture - a completely new challenge  and a new cause.

This new event is a fundraiserto help the Cystic Fibrosis West team raise the much-needed funds required to build a very specialised day care unit at Mayo General Hospital, Castlebar.

This unit will comprise of two isolated en-suite bedrooms (each incorporating positive and negative   airflow pressure systems), a treatment room, meeting room, kitchenette,laboratory and a corridorfor exercise and bleep tests.

Keith Gibbons enjoys some time out while in the States for treatment.A CAMPAIGN to fund pioneering cancer treatment for a Mayo native in the USA is going global, with comedian Russell Brand hitting the retweet button on Sunday night in support.

In 2007 the Gibbons family from Foxford saw lightening strike twice, in the most terrible way.

Two weeks after the birth of his only child, Darren Gibbons was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Three months later brother Keith received similar confirmation.

Thankfully, Darren responded well to treatment but Keith has since undergone three surgeries, radiotherapy and multiple courses of chemotherapy until in August this year, he was accepted into a clinical trial at the Burzynski Clinic in Houston, Texas.