Carlow event raises €2,000 for Cuan Mhuire

A COMMUNITY fundraiser at An Gairdin Beo, Carlow town recently raised approximately €2,000 towards the refurbishment of Cuan Mhuire drug rehabilitation unit in Athy.

The fundraiser, which ran from 10am to 4pm, attracted a large crowd and was supported by over 20 volunteers, who helped organise the day’s activities.

Event organiser Rosaleen Fadden, a former nurse and counsellor with over 15 years of experience at Cuan Mhuire in Athy, said the event served a dual purpose beyond fundraising.

While the funds raised will contribute towards a new €2.5 million drug unit planned for Cuan Mhuire, Ms Fadden emphasised that raising awareness was the most valuable outcome of the day.

The main point was to hand out leaflets about the work done in Cuan Mhuire and have people from the centre present to talk to anyone who needed information or had any concerns about addiction, she explained.

Attendees could purchase high-quality donated clothing, bric-a-brac and baked goods, with roughly 80 per cent of the clothing items being brand-new with tags still attached. The event also featured a raffle with donated gifts and vouchers.

“It was a lovely day. People were in and out buying. I’d say half over half of the stock of everything sold on the day,” Ms Fadden said, referring to the clothing, shoes and bags available for purchase.

Families attending with children were catered for with a ‘sweetie table,’ while home-baked tea bracks and brown bread brought by the chef from Cuan Mhuire proved particularly popular, selling out completely.

Ms Fadden described the fundraising event as very successful and proposed replicating the model in future events at Cuan Mhuire itself, highlighting the importance of providing direct contact points for families seeking help with addiction issues.