Main pic: The North West 10k Committee for 2025 includes at front – Seamus Murphy, Neil Martin (Chairperson), Nancy McNamee (Vice-Chairperson) and Brendan McDaid (Race Director). Back from left – Bernie Brennan, Dorothy McGinley, Neily McDaid (Safety Officer), Declan Kerr (Media Officer), Gerard McGinley (Treasurer) and Mary Fleming-McCrossan (Secretary).
The North West 10k committee will commence planning shortly for the 28th staging of the charity event which to date has raised €983,924 since the first race in 1996.
It means now that reaching the magical €1 million mark is very much the target for next year. Next month the committee will invite charities to apply to be the beneficiaries from what will hopefully be an historic occasion for the North West 10k organisation.
The AGM took place in the Mount Errigal Hotel on Monday night where there were no changes to the executive or committee. However, Chairperson Neil Martin has appealed for more volunteers to become part of the organisation to spread the considerable workload involved in raising much needed money for very worthy causes.
“We have a very good committee, but the numbers are small so we do need more help,” he stressed.
“So, I would be asking men or women out there with a little bit of time to come forward and join us. It is very satisfying work and very rewarding when you see what North West 10k has done for so many charities over the past 27 years.”
Anyone interested in volunteering for a few yours a month can contact any of the committee members or send an email to northwest10km@gmail.com
The next charity run and walk will take place on Bank Holiday Monday, May 5, 2025, in Letterkenny. Neil Martin thanked the five sponsors for their support again in 2024.
“My thanks to all the sponsors for their support again this year and in particular the five main sponsors Mount Errigal Hotel, Donegal Daily, Value Centre, Century Complex and Brian McCormack Intersport. Their support ensures that there is more money for the charities. The local Municipal District Councillors gave valuable financial support and I thank each of them for their contribution,” Mr Martin said.
He also acknowledged the Gardai, under the leadership of Sergeant Eunan Walsh, for their help and guidance especially on the day of the race. Letterkenny Chamber has been providing administration assistance from the start in 1997 and that support has continued to the present day under current CEO, Toni Forrester.
Cheques to Charities
Last June the presentation of cheques by the North West 10k Committee took place in the Mount Errigal Hotel with a total of €52,192 raised from the 27th staging of the charity run and walk. That saw three charities benefit to the tune of €17,398 each. That now brings the overall figure since the first 10k in 1997 to €983,924. It means that breaking the magical million euro mark is now very much the target next year. But for whatever charities that will be chosen, there will still be hard graft involved to raise just over €16,000 to do that. The benefitting charities in 2024 were the Cara House Family Resource Centre, Letterkenny Community Childcare Centre and the Kilmacrennan, Termon, Gartan, Churchill and Trentagh Community First Responders Group.
Neil Martin also acknowledged the hard work of his own committee in 20204 in making sure that the charities were supported every step of the way. “I also want to acknowledge again the invaluable commitment of the stewards and marshalls who gave off their time to help us on the day. Thanks also to the Donegal Volunteer Centre for providing people to do various jobs and the Red Cross. Liam O’Donnell and all the team at Letterkenny Community Centre as always gave us full cooperation with the use of the Marquee for the pre-registrations and setting up inside on the day of the event,” he said
Mr Martin also took the opportunity to thank Terry and Conor McEniff and the Mount Errigal Hotel for the use of rooms for meetings, the launch, the presentations and the AGM.
“I also want at this point to thank very much Donegal Person of the Year, Moya Brennan, who was with us on the Bank Holiday Monday to officially start the event and make the presentations to the winners afterwards,” Mr he concluded.
The North West 10k Committee for 2024 includes – Neil Martin (Chairperson), Nancy McNamee (Vice-Chairperson), Gerard McGinley (Treasurer), Mary Fleming-McCrossan (Secretary), Brendan McDaid (Race Director & Assistant-Treasurer), Neily McDaid (Safety Officer), Declan Kerr (Media Officer), Charlie Kelly ( Honorary President), Committee members – Anne Condon, Bernie Brennan, Seamus Murphy, Dorothy McGinley and Norman Spratt.
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