Fundraising gets funky for local children living with cancer
Mark McClintock, a member of the Funky Monkeys team in Lurgan is hoping for a warm and dry summer this year. This is because he has recently shaved his head in a bid to raise money for ‘Cash for Kids’ the charity that helps thousands of disadvantaged children across Northern Ireland. Funky Monkeys, with soft play centres across the North pledged their support to Cash for Kids day 2013 in which much needed funds were raised and donated to the Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children. As well as Mark’s head shave, teams from across the Funky Monkeys group held raffles, competitions and also joined in on the ‘Funsie in a Onesie’ theme by wearing their onesie to work. The total amount raised was a fantastic £3500 for Cash for Kids.
Claire Toner, marketing manager for Funky Monkeys commented: “We are delighted to have been able to support Cash for Kids day this year and we had lots of fun activities happening across all our centres in a bid to raise as much as money as possible for Cash for Kids and the Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children. At Funky Monkeys, we love that children can visit one of our centres and play happily and safely on our equipment. However, we realise that not all children are as lucky and may not be just as care-free due to a variety of circumstances.
“We are very grateful for the support that Funky Monkeys has had in each of its areas and as part of our charity partnership with Cash for Kids we want to give something back that will directly benefit children and their families who may need a little extra support within our communities. Supporting Cash for Kids is the perfect way for us to do this and we have been getting up to a lot of ‘Funky’ fundraising this year in a bid to achieve our overall goal of raising £10,000 for the charity this year!”
Lorraine Rice, proprietor of Funky Monkeys in Lurgan stated “On behalf of the entire group at Funky Monkeys, we are so grateful for all the continued support that our customers have given us as well as other local businesses. We realise that financially times are not easy at the minute, but we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our customers in all centre areas.”
Claire concluded: “It is lovely to be able to come to work at one of our centres and to hear the sound of happy laughter and children having fun. I hope that the money we raise will go towards helping the many young people living with cancer in Northern Ireland.”
