THE GRAND MASTER’S FESTIVAL for Charity 2008 was an outstanding success, surpassing all expectations – especially in the current financial climate.
The Brethren throughout Ireland raised a massive €660,000 (£600.000, $963,500), a magnificent total which is being shared by the delighted beneficiaries - the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice, Samaritans and LauraLynn Foundation.
The finale of the Festival was marked by a meeting between the Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, and the Grand Master, M.W.Bro. George Dunlop, and representatives of Grand Lodge and the charities at Government Buildings in Dublin. Mr. Cowen described the Festival as “an outstanding success” and congratulated the Brethren.
“Their generous support will strengthen the capacity of these charities to provide their invaluable assistance to families and individuals in distress and coping with adversity,”
he said.Celebration banquets were also held in the Freemasons’ Hall, Molesworth Street, Dublin, and the Provincial Masonic Hall, Rosemary Street, Belfast.
The gatherings heard moving yet inspiring stories of the work of the hospice movement among children with life-limiting illnesses and the efforts of Samaritans to reduce suicides. Actress Olivia Nash, vice-president of the Northern Ireland Hospice, told the Belfast banquet that it was one of the biggest single donations they had ever received. The stage and screen celebrity was among a glittering guest list which also included her BBC TV “Give My Head Peace” co-star, Alexandra Ford, who is ambassador for Belfast Samaritans; Jane McKenna, founder of the LauraLynn Foundation, and other representatives of the charities.
Presenting cheques for €220,000 (£200,000) to each of the charities, the Grand Master said: “Like the rest of the community, charities are feeling the pinch of the credit crunch and our support is therefore more important and necessary than ever. The response to the Festival for Charity has been magnificent and is all the more commendable in the current economic climate. The very Impressive total which has been raised will, we hope, go a considerable way to supporting the essential and laudable work of these three very worthy charities.” He added: “The huge success of our fund-raising efforts all over Ireland down the years is an achievement of which we feel especially proud. It reflects not only the generosity of our members but also our open and active participation in the life of the community and demonstrates that we are a caring organisation and part of society.”
The Festival, launched in November 2007, was originally intended to cover a year-long programme but had to be extended by a further six months to accommodate the number of money raising events organised by members of the Masonic Order throughout Ireland, north and south. They ranged from barbeques, clay pigeon shoots, quiz and race nights and calendar sales to dinner dances, deep-sea fishing, golf outings, sponsored walks, marathon runs and whiskey tasting.
Two members completed a sponsored climb of two peaks in the Himalayas and another undertook a four-day run over the 167-mile route from the children’s hospice on the outskirts of Belfast to the site of the proposed LauraLynn hospice at Sandyford, County Dublin, … before going on to compete in the Dublin marathon.
A statement from the joint chairmen of the Festival Committee, R.W.Bros. Richard Ensor, Rodney McCurley and Basil Fenton, said: “The ingenuity of our members in raising funds for charity never fails to amaze. We could not have foreseen the major downturn in the economic climate which would take place during our Festival year and could not have been criticised for being pessimistic about the outcome. In fact nothing could have been further from the truth and the Brethren of the Irish Constitution of the Order have risen magnificently to the challenge by demonstrating their generosity and willingness to work hard for charity in what has turned out to be an extremely successful exercise in fundraising.”
The Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice cares for 250 life-limited children and their families every year.
Chief executive officer Judith Hill said:
“We rely heavily on voluntary donations and legacies to continue our work. This tremendous effort by the Freemasons will pay for three staff nurses for two years, making a huge difference to those special children in our care.”
The all-Ireland Samaritans organisation operates from 20 branches with some 1,700 volunteers to provide round-the-clock confidential emotional support to people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair. Volunteer representative Anita Lawlor said: “As demand for Samaritans services increases in these difficult times the cost of running the charity rises. A donation of this size, for which we are most grateful, is a significant step in ensuring that we can maintain and increase the reach of our 24-hour helpline services over the coming three years and make a significant contribution to the reduction of suicide in Ireland.”
The LauraLynn Foundation was set up in 2001 as a result of an enormous personal tragedy in the lives of Dublin couple Jane and Brendan McKenna that saw them lose both of their daughters, Laura and Lynn, in the space of just two years. It has teamed up with the Children’s Sunshine Home to establish the first hospice for children in the Republic. Said Jane McKenna:
“We realise the huge effort which went into the organisation of the many events run by the Freemasons and sincerely appreciate their kind and generous support. The donation raised is astounding and will truly make a wonderful difference to many sick children and their families in the future.”
Below – letters from the grateful beneficiaries.
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