Hair, hair for local Moovember heroes
For the last six years men all over Offaly have been letting their inner Magnum PIs and Ronnie Drews loose at this time of year as part of the Moovember campaign.
Founded in 2013 by Paul Keating from Daingean, Moovember, the midlands version of the global Movember campaign, has raised over €200,000 for sick children in the midlands.
This year's recipient is little Erika Martin from Mullingar, who, in addition to suffering from hydrocephalus - a condition that occurs when excessive cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain- is also battling a rare for of cancer and kidney failure.
Erika's mother and father Louise Kelly and Joe Martin had become accustomed to the complications associated with Erika’s hydrocephalus– but at the end of last November, while on a family holiday to Lanzarote, the little girl became unwell.
On Christmas Eve, her parents' worst fears were realised when she diagnosed with cancer. If that wasn't enough to cope with on the same day she suffered kidney failure.
On St Stephen’s Day Erika went on dialysis and they gave her the first round of chemotherapy after which she slept for five days. Then followed a month in intensive care and since then ongoing treatment and occasional hospital stays.
Paul says that one of the reasons why Moovember has proved so successful is that people can empathise with the young people they are helping and their families.
“It hits home that it could be their own child or one of their grandchildren.”
Unlike Movember, which originated in Australia, the Offaly version does not exclude women from taking part. Paul says that every year there are a number of female organised events such as sponsored walks.
While there are participants all over Offaly and this year Westmeath, the main Moovember events are focused on the patrons of four bars: Seery's Bar in Daingean, Ned's Bar in Ballinagar, Brennan's on the Green in Killeigh and Clarke's Bar in Mullingar.
Paul says that when he was organising the first Moovember, he couldn't have foreseen the impact that the event has had.
“Most year's we raise between 30 and 40 thousand euro. The thing about Moovember is we have men of all ages. You might have a farmer who has had a beard for 50 years. He goes into his mart with a sponsorship card and because he doesn't fundraiser often he will have lads coming to him with €50 notes.
“We couldn't do it without people's generosity. Then you have the lads who grow moustaches and beards, as well as all the other people who do things like walking groups and running groups. We'd live to give a huge thank out to everyone.”