Milltown’s marathon effort
Milltown GAA Club wants members of the community, wherever they are, to run, jog, walk, swim or cycle a marathon next month to raise funds for the development of its grounds and facilities.
The good news is that the 26 miles/42km can be broken up and completed over the entire month of April. Would-be participants should go to the club’s website (http://milltown.gaa.ie/) and register their interest.
The club is setting up a GoFundMe page where participants can donate the sponsorship they have received throughout the month. Every week of the month, the club will sent participants a weblink when they can upload the distances they have covered. The club will also post a leaderboard each week of who has covered the most ground. However, the club stresses that the leaderboard will be circulated “for the craic” and that the initiative is “not a competition”.
In a post on its website the club says that it wants participants to “get creative”.
“We want your #marathon4milltown selfies, family photos and other creativity posted online to keep the craic going. At the end of the month, we’ll have special club treats for the most creative posts using the #marathon4milltown hashtag.”
Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, club official Paul Heduan said that they are hoping that Milltown natives, wherever they are living around the world, will answer the call and become involved in Marathon4Millown.
A key objective of Marathon4Milltown is to raise funds to buy the land that the club is currently leasing for its training pitch, while there are also long-term plans to develop an all-weather astroturf training area.
“We are trying to muster locals, based at home and internationally, to get behind our fundraising drive. Milltown Ladies Football Club is strongly behind it, as is our underage team, Millmore Gaels. We are hoping to muster up everyone over the course of the month to get out and about.”
Like many GAA clubs around the country, over the last year, the members of Milltown GAA Club have played a central role in the community response to the Covid-19 pandemic, delivering groceries and other essentials to vulnerable neighbours and doing their bit to ensure that people don’t feel isolated.
The club’s new all weather walking track has also proved popular over the last 12 months and has been used by people of all ages.
“It’s been a huge life line to people and a really valuable resource. People sign up for club membership to cover insurance and come down and walk, run or jog around the walk track. It is a huge asset to the community that is available to everyone and it’s something that we are very proud of.”
Another community initiative that the club is planning is the establishment of a remote working hub in the community centre, which is located in its grounds. High speed broadband has already been installed in the building and once restrictions are lifted and things return to something resembling normality, local people looking to make the switch to remote working will be able to do so.
“We hope to have the facilities in place for people to come down and log on to with their laptops from the centre. They could also use the other facilities, such as the gym and the walking track. And there is a little kitchen when they could make a bit of lunch.”
Paul stressed that although Milltown GAA is first and foremost a Gaelic games organisation, this facility is envisioned as a centre for all the community.