Kids Helping Kids - Clongowes Wood College

Posted: 8th October 2016

Kids Helping Kids

For almost twenty five years the Transition Year students in Clongowes have made raising money to buy a piece of life saving equipment for Crumlin Children’s Hospital an annual goal. Equipment to date has included portable ultra sound machines for use with children with limited mobility and machines to help diagnose cancer patients more quickly.

Last June 30 students accompanied by teachers took to the road again pushing the Duck from Crumlin Children’s Hospital in Dublin all the way to Limerick. Before pushing the Duck across the country over eight days in June students also raised money through a whole variety of activities during the year. These ranged from mini companies and pop up cafes to coffee mornings, barbecues and washing cars, making use of a host of abilities, talents and skills along the way.

Over €70,000 was raised and this year the funds will go towards equipment used in treating patients with cystic fibrosis. The main piece of equipment is a 3.7mm diametre video bronchoscope made by Pentax which will allow doctors to identify problems more accurately.

On Thursday 6th October the boys in Poetry who worked on the project were invited to Crumlin Hospital where Dr Michael McDermott and Dr Des Cox were presented with the cheque. Dr. Cox explained how the equipment would be used to improve the hospitals ability to treat patients and congratulated the group on their efforts.

Before presenting the cheque, Daniel Beggs, outgoing Year Captain, and David Broe and Ronan Molony spoke about the boys’ experiences over the course of the year and thanked in particular parents and staff who supported them. Also thanked were long time sponsors Dunnes Stores, Mallon Motors Naas, Westwood Trailers Naas, as well as Clongowes Wood College, Cistercian College Roscrea and Glenstal Abbey School.

Daniel said that the group were delighted to be able to help the great work of the doctors and nurses who care for so many of Ireland’s children and young people at Crumlin.

With the current Syntax Group already working hard on Duck Push 2017 it looks like this is a tradition that is in safe hands for years to come!

Oscar Wilson, Poetry

Categories: Clongowes Stories
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