All week we’ve been on the road with Ireland’s favourite Rose of Tralee, Maria Walsh, as she and her team run, walk and cycle their way to Tralee in aid of three fantastic Irish charities.
From the Trek2Tralee’s kick off point in Shrule, Co. Mayo, to this evening’s final stop to Denny St, Tralee, Co. Kerry, the Trek2Tralee team have been cheered on and supported by local communities at every stop along the way – an incredible experience for everyone taking part.
Trek2Tralee is raising important funds for three empowering Irish charities; Barretstown, Donal Walsh #LiveLife and Development Perspectives. To make a donation, click here.
Each of these causes offers Irish people the chance to become empowered through themselves as individuals and within their communities.
Today we’re taking a closer look at the Donal Walsh #Livelife Foundation, our final charity benfiting from the money raised during Trek2Tralee.
Donal Walsh, the Kerry teenager who touched so many lives when he came to prominence through his incredible fundraising achievements and powerful writings on suicide, is being honoured by his native county. Donal who fundraised tirelessly while battling cancer has now had the Donal Walsh #Livelife Foundation set up by his family primarily in order to promote his anti-suicide #Livelife message.
Over the years Donal raised funds totaling €50,000.00 for St. John’s Cancer Ward in Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin and in his final battle with the disease this grew to €65,000.00.
Donal took to writing in his last months and told his story of his battle with cancer and what it took each time to fight his way back to living life. He also wrote about his anger at teenage suicide while he was battling to get as much out of living his life.
In March 2013 Donal received the Kerry’s Eye/Radio Kerry Local Hero’s Award, one of many he had received over the years. What was different about this one was that they came and interviewed him about his essay on his life to date and his fundraising.
While there they asked him if he had any other writings and his “Suicide Plea” article came out and was published. As a result of this Donal rose to national and international prominence with an interview on The Saturday Night Show with Brendan O’Connor and a subsequent publishing of his writings in the Sunday Independent .
Find out more about the Donal and the charity’s great work in the video below – along with highlights of the penultimate day of Maria’s epic Trek2Tralee!
For more information about Trek2Tralee, or to donate to one of the three charities click here.
