The Charity Appeal each year culminates in a day of fun activities for both students and staff alike (although the annual Staff V sixth years soccer match might have a little edge other than fun!), as well as finishing off the grand auction. Pictured below are some of the photographs taken on the Christmas Charity Day 2013 and during the Charity Carol singing in shop street.
The Christmas Charity Appeal is not the only opportunity that our Community has to contribute to Charity during the year as regular smaller scale fundraisers serve to keep us all aware of the goodness and support that can be generated through our school.
Irish Friends of Albania Fashion show
On April 1st a Fashion show was held in the Galway Bay hotel. This charity was established by Jack and Moya McCann and a group of medical personnel in 2005. Jack Mc Cann is a Consultant Plastic surgeon. Albania is the poorest country in Europe.
Since 2005, 60 doctors, nurses, sterile service persons and bio-engineers from Galway hospitals have travelled to Albania. They have performed over 400 operations, and taught vital skills to Albanian medical staff. Over €300,000 worth of equipment and supplies have been donated by Galway hospitals and medical companies to Mother Theresa Hospital in Tirana, Albania.
The 2014 fashion show raised over €12,000 to enable the charity to help Albanian people. In May, a volunteer construction team will travel to Kavaja, Central Albania to renovate a home for 50 elderly people. By June, Mr Jack Mc Cann and his team hope to open the first micro-surgery Laboratory for the Balkans in Mother Theresa University Hospital, Tirana. All this work for the sick, the elderly and for children would not be possible without volunteers and the generation of funds.
This year five St. Mary’s College Leaving Cert students and Sean Kelly in 5th year, graced the Catwalk at the Fashion show. They were greeted with rapturous applause by over 350 guests!! There could be a future in modelling for these lads!! They wore smart casual clothes from DC store in Galway. They had new slicked back, gelled hairdos by Daithi from Renaissance Hair Salon.
Next stop London, Paris, Milan and New York!!
