Daffodil DayDaffodil Day offers message of hope
Image 1 of 9
Daffodil Day volunteer Aidan Leahy at North Midlands Credit Union on Friday.Image 2 of 9
Daffodil Day volunteer Dónal Lawlor outside the post office on Dominick Street on Friday morning.Image 3 of 9
Daffodil Day volunteer Mary Bourke Walker, on duty on Friday at Bank of Ireland Mullingar, here with supporters Mikey Fay (left) and Terry Toal.Image 4 of 9
Helen Kiernan and Frances Khouri in Mullingar.Image 5 of 9
Geraldine Holmes and Laura Walsh on duty in Mullingar.Image 6 of 9
Niamh McCullagh and Collette O’Keeffe at Harbour Place Shopping Centre in Mullingar.Image 7 of 9
Michael Brown at Leonard’s Shop, Clonmellon, with a selection of daffodils and specialties, fundraising for Daffodil Day on Friday.Image 8 of 9
Karina Buckley, Erin Casserly and Marie Henry at Day Break, Clonmellon, doing their part for Daffodil Day on Friday.Image 9 of 9
Miles Gillespie (AIB), Helen Kiernan, Francis Khouri, Marié O’Toole (chair of volunteer committee).Daffodil Day is the Irish Cancer Society’s primary fundraiser to support cancer patients and research, and encourages the public to donate, wear daffodil pins, or support events to help fund their free services like transport and night nursing.
“Every family, one way or another, has been affected by cancer,” Marié O’Toole, the chair of the local volunteer committee organising the Mullingar event, told the Westmeath Examiner. “The statistics suggest that one in every two people will be affected by cancer at some stage in their life, but the good news is that because of the early detection and early intervention that the success and survival rates are great.”
As volunteers set up in the heart of the county town on Friday morning, the public were eager to engage: “Today is a really special day for us, we’re here in Mullingar for the biggest annual fundraiser for the Irish Cancer Society,” the volunteer coordinator said.
Marié emphasised that importance of the support: “The funds generated here go towards the running costs of the Irish Cancer Society, so services such as the night nursing, the care-to-drive, research, advocacy and whatever. All of that is facilitated by the donations we get today.
“I want to thank everybody in the town, all of our volunteers and everyone who donated. We really appreciate every single penny that we get today, so thank you so much to everybody.”
Few charity events have the public buy in of Daffodil Day: “When people see the yellow on the town, whether it’s balloons or the posters, they are only too delighted to help.”
Marié said the day also offers a message of hope: “The daffodil is synonymous with spring and spring is new hope, new life. That’s the whole message of the Irish Cancer Society, that while nobody wants to get a diagnosis of cancer, if they do get it, there is hope, there are treatments, there are services that people can avail of. That’s why everybody is happy to donate to the Irish Cancer Society.”
Chris, who was making a donation to Daffodil Day volunteer Dónal Lawlor at the post office on Dominick Street on Friday morning, has a message for men in particular. He told the Examiner: “I’ve been diagnosed with post-traumatic cancer, and I find that it’s very, very important that everybody, every man should check himself to make sure, because we have it, we don’t know about it, and if something happens, then it could be too late. Go early and get it checked out with your GP and it’ll save an awful lot of trouble down the line.”