Rotary club donates funds to Limerick charities

A ROTARY club has donated funds to three “worthy” charities in Limerick.

In November, Rotary International formally granted a Charter to a new club, the North Munster Rotary Club, in a bid to solve problems and share commitment and vision in the region.

During a lunch event at the Savoy Hotel, the club presented three “deserving charities” with funds, in a bid to help them continue their work with local communities.

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Care Bright Community, a charity taking care of people who suffer from dementia, Limerick Suicide Watch, and The Oesophageal Cancer Fund were all chosen by the club.

President of Rotary Club of Limerick North Munster, Pat Kearney, was delighted to support the three charities, including the Oesophageal Cancer Fund as their mission hits close to home.

“I’m a survivor of oesophageal cancer myself, and that’s why I support that. They get very little state funding, so they need funds to keep the show on the road,” he said.

Delighted to receive the donations, Shannon McNamara, who has been helping patrol the banks of the River Shannon, commented: "I suppose people think our main role is being on the river to look out for people in distress. But, we are there to help the public, and it may not always necessarily be people who have suicidal thoughts or might be thinking about suicide."

As she encouraged people to reach out, she added "If someone needs a chat or someone needs to vent, it's always easier to talk to a stranger, and you never have to see us again if you don't want to. We are there to listen."

A global network of 1.4 million problem-solvers, Rotary aims to see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – whether that is across the globe or in communities.