County Mayor Seamus McGrath gets a fright from some scary little friends as he lends his support to the Ghostbusters 5K run/walk in aid of Anchor Treatment Centre which will be held at Doneraile Park at 11.30am this Saturday Oct 29th.
Despite the recent death of the founder of Mallow’s Anchor Centre, Sr. Miriam O’Connell, the decision has been made to proceed with the centre’s annual fundraiser, the Ghostbuster 5K run/walk in Doneraile Park this Saturday at 11.30am. Chairman of the Board of Management, Barry Golden says, “Sr. Miriam’s death caused immense sadness for her community and all her colleagues at Anchor. She will be greatly missed by all. Over the years, the Ghostbusters 5K was a source of happiness to Sr. Miriam and it became her favourite fundraising event for the centre.”
Operations Manager Ann Kenneally says, “Sr. Miriam was passionate about and dedicated to her work in the community and she helped thousands of people over the years. Her legacy will live on through the Anchor Centre and we know that in our landmark 21st year, she would want the fundraiser to go ahead as planned.”
The Ghostbusters 5K is not only a firm fixture on the local sporting calendar, but a huge fundraising opportunity for the Anchor Centre, which only receives partial HSE funding. The centre, based in Spa Glen, is staffed by fully accredited full time and part time counsellors.
County Mayor Seamus McGrath paid a visit to the centre recently and heard first hand of the struggles to secure funding to maintain the centre’s open door policy. “The centre is not getting sufficient funding from the public purse, but they do outstanding work and this is a very important fundraiser for them. I’m a firm believer that physical activity is linked to mental and personal wellbeing so it’s very fitting that they’ve chosen a 5k run or walk, so I’m encouraging those of all abilities to come out and support Saturday’s event in any way they can.”
The Anchor Centre deals with alcohol dependency, drug addiction, gambling, eating disorders and also offers a 4 session assessment process; family support for concerned members; continuing care; individual and couples counselling; holistic therapies including reflexology, acupuncture for detox, withdrawal and stress management and educational programmes.
There are 8 staff, including full time and part time counsellors employed by Anchor who treat people from the local area but also Cork city, Kerry, Tipperary and Limerick. The Anchor Centre operates in the heart of the community, and as people can self-refer to the service, they also work with TUSLA and the Probation Service.
Participants are encouraged to get into the spooky Halloween spirit and compete for best costume. Registration is online at www.ghostbusters5k.com, at the Anchor Centre itself at Fitness Solutions on Main Street, Mallow and costs €10 for an adult, €5 for a child and €20 for a family. The race kicks off at 11.30am on Saturday in the gorgeous surroundings of Doneraile Park.