“IT WAS like walking on a soft carpet of cotton wool”.
This is how one Carlow woman described walking on hot coals at Presentation College last Friday in aid of charity.
Mags Territt and 40 other staff, students and friends of the school took on the challenge to raise vital funds for the Presentation Sisters’ AIDS orphanage in Kaoma, Zambia.
“It was quite daunting but a real adrenalin rush. When you got to the end, there was such a sense of achievement,” added Mags, who said that some of the participants felt hot, some cold, while others thought it was like walking on wet grass. “It was crazy – everyone felt something different,” laughed Mags.
The brave men and women hot-footed it over the 3ft wide, 20ft long firewalk in the Presentation College carpark on Friday night in front of a crowd of hundreds.
“It went really brilliantly. It was a huge success. There was a brilliant atmosphere and we had hundreds of people up here and they were all clapping and cheering,” added Mags.
The walk took each participant approximately eight steps, under the watchful eye of Karen Sterling of Blaze Firewalking.
“We had huge support from everybody and we would really like to thank everyone who sponsored us, everyone who helped out, the Seven Oaks Hotel, who looked after us afterwards, and particularly Karen, who made a very generous donation of €615 to the orphanages,” added Mags.
The final figure raised is not yet known but Mags stressed that 100% of the money received will go towards the orphanages and donations are still welcome, through the school or Fr Liam Morgan at Askea Parish Centre.