Moovember event for Erika
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Erika’s parents, Louise Kelly and Joe Martin. Thomas GibbonsImage 2 of 8
Amy Gilhooley and Aoife Geoghegan looked after the raffle. Thomas GibbonsImage 3 of 8
Mark Hughes showing his partially waxed chest to Isabelle Keegan and Chloe McNamee from Indulgence Beauty and Hair Salon. Thomas GibbonsImage 4 of 8
Ali Janauskaite and Amanda Sharkey from Patrick Street in Mullingar. Thomas GibbonsImage 5 of 8
Paddy Clarke, Kevin Tynan, Keith Golden and Brandon Duggan from Mullingar. Thomas GibbonsImage 6 of 8
Conor Blythe, Eoin Clarke and Ben McCabe at Erika’s Moovember night. Thomas GibbonsImage 7 of 8
Darina Golden and Paul Keating (founder of Moovember) on Friday evening. Thomas GibbonsImage 8 of 8
David Dyer, Greg Dunne, Darragh Sullivan and Carl McGee took part in Friday’s fundraiser. Thomas GibbonsThe gang involved in the Moovember event at Clarke’s Bar in Mullingar on Friday had great fun, while raising funds for Erika Martin. Erika (4) was born with hydrocephalus, and last Christmas, she diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. She was recently in Germany for a six-week round of radiation therapy and she has started a six-month round of maintenance chemotherapy.
Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner at Clarke’s on Friday night, Erika’s mother Louise Kelly said: “There’s a team who organise Moovember and this is a part of it, a wax night, and we have a shave night on the 30th. I want to thank all the lads who came down tonight to get waxed in aid of Erika, and whoever’s getting shaved on the 30th.
“Thanks also to the girls from Indulgence [Hair and Beauty] who came and did the waxing tonight and to my cousin, who was really good to organise the night, and to everyone who came, because if it wasn’t for them, it wouldn’t be such a good night.
“We had such a laugh tonight, and even though it’s for my daughter, who is sick, everyone enjoyed it.”
Paul Keating from Daingean in County Offaly, started Moovember six years ago. He said it began with a darts team, “just a couple of us having a bit of craic together, and we decided to try to raise funds for a young child that was sick with cancer”.
“We did it for the first couple of years for Aoibheann’s Pink Tie and then we started working directly with the families of the children themselves.
“Over the last six years, we’ve raised €202,000 and this year we were contacted and told about little Erika, and she was the closest child to our area that is sick at the moment, so we were delighted to get on board with Erika’s mam and dad, and become involved in fundraising for Erika.
“We were also delighted to be invited here tonight for this waxing event in the middle of Moovember. It’s all part of the whole month of November thing, whereby we’re fundraising with different events going on all over the place. There’s a great crowd tonight here in Mullingar and to see so many lads willing to put themselves forward and to help out is great. That’s what it’s all about – it’s about communities coming together.”