20 Dips in December raises over €7500 in aid of Kilmore Quay RNLI
Kilmore Quay RNLI Volunteers were delighted this week to meet those who took part in 20 Dips in December raising a record €7535.25 this year for their local lifeboat station.
Now in its fourth year, the event has gone from strength to strength each year. Organised by local ladies Gráinne O’Brien, Melinda Kehoe and Simmi Duffin, the fundraising event challenges participants to take 20 dips in the sea during the month of December culminating in a community swim in Kilmore Quay on December 31st. Forty-five people of all ages completed the full challenge at various locations throughout the month of December as conditions allowed. Safety always to the fore, this year the final swim was postponed a day due to inclement weather on the 31st. However, that did not deter the swimmers who instead showed up in numbers the next day and completed their ‘20 Dips’ on a sunny winter’s afternoon on January 1st.
Gráinne O’Brien, 20 Dips in December Organiser, said ‘We have had phenomenal support for this event from so many people, whether it was help organising swims, donating raffle prizes, donations of refreshments, whatever we needed, somebody stepped up to help. We particularly want to thank our sponsors Sofrimar who sponsored our swim caps this year. We are extremely grateful to all who donated to the event or sponsored us and especially to those who took part throughout the month. We are thrilled to be able to handover this fantastic amount to such a great cause. Makes all those cold dips worthwhile!’
John Grace, Kilmore Quay RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager who welcomed the participants to the station on Monday, said: ‘We are delighted to welcome you all here today especially so many young people. This is a fantastic community event and now a regular fixture on the annual calendar. Fundraising is so important to what we do and without people like yourselves, our lifeboat service could not continue as we do. On behalf of all the volunteers at Kilmore Quay Lifeboat station, thank you all for your fantastic efforts on our behalf.’
For more information about 20 Dips in December, please see their Facebook page at this link: https://www.facebook.com/20DipsinDecember
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
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