Limerick Person of the year calls on you to support Special Olympics Collection Day

Special Olympics Collection Day – Padraig O’Callaghan, recently named Limerick Person of the Year, is backing Special Olympics Annual Collection Day taking place today, Friday April 29 and is asking you to show your support by making a donation to Special Olympics Ireland. Picture by Alan Place.

2,000 Special Olympics Ireland volunteers paint the town red in a bid to raise €350,000

Today marks Special Olympics Ireland’s first Collection Day, post-pandemic. Motivational speaker and Special Olympics athlete, Padraig O’Callaghan, who was also recently announced as Limerick Person of the Year, is backing this year’s campaign and hopes to help motivate the public to support this cause very close to his heart.

“Special Olympics helps athletes, like me, to be physically, mentally and emotionally fit. I enjoy football, horse-riding and swimming and I get to learn new skills, increase my confidence which helps with school and everyday life. Most importantly I get to experience the joy of sport and make life-long friendships!” Says Pádraig, aged twelve from Knockainey, Limerick.

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The Special Olympics Collection Day is the charity’s largest and most important fundraising day and from early this morning, 2,000 volunteers hit the streets in a bid to help the charity raise €350,000 in vital funding. Nearly 8,000 athletes benefit from the sports training, competition, health and leadership programmes provided by Special Olympics Ireland in clubs throughout the country every day.

Matt English, CEO of Special Olympics Ireland says: “We would like to thank our volunteers out shaking buckets today, everyone taking part in our virtual 5k for Special Olympics Collection Day, static cycles in shopping centres, corporate coffee mornings, everyone has been so supportive. I would appeal to the public to give what they can into our donation buckets, which have been upgraded to allow for tap donations too. If you don’t come across a bucket collection we have so many quick and easy ways to donate including Revolut or online. No donation is too small.”

In addition to a packed sports schedule, Special Olympics are focused on providing critical early intervention for children from as young as four years old, through their Young Athlete clubs, and supporting athletes as they compete for the opportunity to qualify for a place on Team Ireland heading to the 2023 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Berlin. 100% of your donation will go towards supporting almost these inspirational athletes in local communities all across Ireland. Simply visit specialolympics.ie for more ways to support.

For more information on the Special Olympics, go HERE

For other stories on Special Olympics, go HERE