Tibohine Fly-In to raise vital funds for two charities in Mayo
The annual Tibohine Fly-In, a staple in the flying and community calendar, will take place this weekend (weather depending), with all proceeds going to the Mayo and Roscommon Hospice Foundation and Cancer Fund for Children.
The event, which is run by James Morrisroe and members of Tibohine Flying Club, has raised approximately €40,000 for a number of charities over the years.
Speaking about the air show, James Morrisroe said: “We are delighted that we can hold the Fly-In this year and raise money for our chosen charities Mayo and Roscommon Hospice and Cancer Fund for Children. This year we have teamed up with Cancer Fund for Children as they are raising funds to build Daisy Lodge, a new therapeutic short break centre for children across Ireland diagnosed with cancer and their families which will be built on the shores of Lough Corrib in Cong.
We feel believe this new facility will have a massive impact in providing emotional support to families dealing with childhood cancer diagnosis from the Frenchpark and Ballaghaderreen area and the greater west.”
James added: “The flying community have always been hugely supportive of this event. We have worked hard to make it a safe outdoor environment for visitors, so we look forward to welcoming everyone.”
Martina Jennings CEO of Mayo and Roscommon Hospice Foundation said that community support during Covid has been vital to the organisation’s work.
“The Fly-In has raised significant funds for Mayo/Roscommon Hospice Foundation for over 11 years now and we are very grateful to be one of the chosen charities again this year. Thanks so much to James for his unwavering support over the last number of years”
Neil Symington, director of services for Cancer Fund for Children, noted that funds raised at Tibohine Fly-In will allow the charity to continue its work in the region.
“Every month around 30 children and young people (aged 0-24) are diagnosed with cancer in Ireland. Since 2014 we have been able to offer a limited number of families therapeutic support at our centre in Co. Down but the reality is that for every family we can support there are another six we cannot.
"A new Daisy Lodge in Cong will help enable us to more than double the number of children and parents we support from 1,800 to 4,0000, ensuring that no family in Ireland faces childhood cancer alone. Support from Tibohine Fly-In will not only help raise vital funds towards our capital project, it will also help to raise awareness of Cancer Fund for Children throughout the west.”
Admission for spectators and families is a minimum donation of €5, all of which goes to the two chosen charities.
Tibohine Airfield is located in Tibohine not far from Frenchpark, Co. Roscommon. The organisers have worked hard to ensure that social distancing procedures will be in place both for visiting pilots and visitors on the ground. There will be a barbecue on both days and lots of fun for all the family over the weekend from 1 to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.