Awareness
Louise Cooney raises €90,000 for Pieta House in honour of cousin Nicky
Fashion blogger Louise Cooney, Kieran O Brien, National Events Manager at Pieta House and Patrice Cooney, Louise’s Aunt, pictured at Pieta House as they present the cheque of €90,000 to the charity, for the money raised through Louise’s fundraiser.
Louise Cooney raises €90,000 for Pieta House in honour of cousin Nicky
By I Love Limerick Correspondent Mary Doyle
Limerick influencer and fashion blogger Louise Cooney, along with her Aunt Patrice, have this week presented a cheque for €90,000 to Pieta House after her fundraising campaign for the charity last month, which she kick-started with a €1,000 donation. Pieta House is very close to the hearts of Louise and her family, and they say they are so proud to have been able to raise both money and awareness for the charity through this campaign.
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Louise pictured at the Pieta House Darkness into Light Walk in 2019 with her parents Tony and Grainne and her dog Cooper.
After leaving her apartment in New York City to return home to Limerick as a result of Covid-19, Louise was approached by Pieta House who were struggling with a shortage of incoming funds and donations, also due to the virus. Louise decided to use her influence and following to make a difference, setting up a Go Fund Me page where people could donate to Pieta House, which in turn reached €50,000 in just over a day. The fundraiser was a massive success, with a total of €90,000 raised for the charity in just a few weeks.
Having lost her cousin Nicky to suicide last year, Louise is always determined to support Pieta House as she knows how vital their services are. Her Aunt Patrice, Nicky’s mother, accompanied Louise to present the cheque to Pieta House, a bittersweet moment for the family who always have Nicky in their thoughts. Patrice encourages people to make use of the services that Pieta House offer, saying, “Anyone who is feeling anxious or stressed at this time, please contact and use the facilities and the services that are available, some of them are free of charge. There are plenty out there, keep trying until you find the answer that you are looking for. There are answers and there is help, all you have to do is ask.”
Pieta House first opened its doors in Lucan, County Dublin in 2006, and has since helped almost 60,000 people who were in suicidal distress or engaging in self-harm. There are now fifteen Pieta House centres across Ireland, as well as five outreach services and a 24-hour freephone helpline, as they employ hundreds of qualified therapists and administration staff through funding and donations alone. At an extremely uncertain time like that of today, and after the postponement of their biggest annual fundraiser ‘Darkness into Light’, Pieta House needs support more than ever, so they can continue their state-of-the-art services which are vital to helping thousands of people across Ireland. To donate to the charity, click here.
Louise told us, “I’m so proud of every person who donated, the services are so badly needed and to think we raised nearly as much as Limerick City brought in for Darkness into Light last year is just incredible. I am so happy to be able to do this in honour of my cousin Nicky who is missed every day.”.
For more information on Pieta House click here.
For more stories on Pieta House, click here.
