ONE OF Donegal’s most popular and most successful annual charity days is celebrating its tenth anniversary this Sunday.
Brigde Lavery-Diver and the staff of B-Bobs Hair Salon on Pearse Road in Letterkenny will open their doors between 1 and 5pm on Sunday afternoon.
Over the previous nine years, B-Bobs’ charity day has raised well over €50,000 for local charities, with the primary beneficiary the Good and New Cancer Bus.
The fun Sunday has become a fixture in the calendar every November and is just one of a number of events that Brigde and her staff have organised to raise money for local charities.
The Good and New Cancer Bus, which transports Donegal’s cancer patients to Galway for lifesaving treatment, is a service close to Brigde’s heart.
Brigde had her own battle with cancer but, even when she was undergoing chemotherapy in 2014 the fundraising efforts didn’t stop.
“I didn’t have to get the bus myself, but many of my friends have used it and it is such an important and vital service for the people of Donegal,” Brigde said,
“Just keeping the bus on the road is only a part of what they do. People really don’t know half of what they do. It’s really much more than a bus service.”
Brigde also volunteers at the Good and New charity shop in Letterknny and will again welcome a huge crowd to B-Bobs on Sunday as they celebrate a landmark day.
Many businesses in Letterkenny and the surrounding areas have donated spot prizes while there have been other fundraisers to assist the B-Bobs team. Gerry McNulty ran a céilí in Kilmacrennan recently and the Honeypot café held a coffee morning, the contributions from which go towards Sunday’s charity day.
Customers will have their hair done by members of the B-Bobs team and others will simply arrive simply to enjoy the warm welcome, the friendly chat and the fun that has made B-Bobs’ day such a success.
Brigde has thanked Veronica McGinley-McHugh and the rest of the B-Bobs staff as well as her own family and friends for their assistance over the years.
“The support we have received over the years has been amazing – we couldn’t do it without that support,” she said.
Last year, the Good and New Cancer Bus, the Jack and Jill Foundation and Mental Health received donations from B-Bobs’ charity day. This year, three charities will again benefit, including the Good and New Cancer Bus, a mental health charity and another beneficiary to be chosen by B-Bobs’ customers.
Now over 23 years in business in Letterkenny, Brigde has a large and loyal customer base.
“Our customers have been brilliant,” she said. “Bernie Gallagher was the first person I had as a customer 23 years ago and she is still one of my regulars now. We have so many people who are regulars with us and they all support our charity day – they are the reason it has been so successful and why we’re really looking forward to making the 10th charity day one to remember.”
As well as the charity day, Brigde and her team have organised and ran several other events over the years to raise money, including charity cycles, quiz nights and the publication of a calendar.
Come along on Sunday, get the hair done or let the hair down and help make B-Bobs’ 10th annual charity day one to remember!
