Lap The Lough will help to bring sick kids to Disneyland

It took volunteers more than two hours on Bank Holiday Monday morning to lay a full circle of coins around The Lough, creating a ring of hope to help raise raise €20,000 to bring sick children to Disneyland Paris.

Members of Cork City Hospitals Children’s Club and members of the public were out early to ‘Lap The Lough’ with coins, and organisers said that although it will take “days” to count, they were hopeful they would exceed their target of €20,000.

John Looney, who is a long-time supporter of the Children’s Club, said the turn-out had been “amazing”.

“It’s unbelievable, it’s a family day, it’s a community day, it’s everything, and it will help to bring sick kids to Disneyland,” he said.

New Cork city councillors Ciara O’Connor and Gary O’Brien were among the volunteers collecting coins, and they said some people had spelled out the names of their loved ones in coins.

"It's just fantastic to see so many families and little kids out enjoying such a lovely fundraiser for such a lovely cause," Ms O'Connor said.

Mr O'Brien said the presence of so many children was very heartening, "especially as it's raising funds to help children who are sick".

Community Garda Kay Griffin, who is herself a volunteer with the Children’s Club, was one of several members of An Garda Síochána who were helping out at the event.

“It’s lovely to support the event, we’ve been taking it in turn to help out,” she said.

“It’s a fantastic occasion, and it’s lovely to see people who were on previous visits to Disneyland coming back to support it.” 

Ernest Cantillon, who helped organise the event, said people had been extraordinarily kind in supporting it, but the amount raised would not be known for a while.

“The Lough Credit Union is helping us to count it, and there’s a few days’ counting in it, but that’s a good complaint,” he said.

To donate, email lapthelough@gmail.com, or see https://eclv.ie/lough.