EXCITEMENT is mounting for the 60th Press Ball, scheduled for September 28, details of which were announced at Bobby Byrnes Bar last weekend. Representatives of Limerick Marine Search and Rescue (LMSR) and of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) listened to Minister for Housing Jan O’Sullivan declare that this, the 60th anniversary Press Ball, “could not find two better charities to benefit”. Michael Murphy, 30 years a volunteer with St Vincent de Paul and current regional president, spoke to the Limerick Post of “these extremely tough times.
“We now have people coming to our society with a high level of debt, especially utility bills. We’ve seen a lot of cumulative bills of €800 to €1,000 that people have built up over time in a proportion of the population who were previously able to manage”.
Mr Murphy focused on the SVP’s many ways to help a household struggling with poverty.
“For back to school costs, we work with schools to reach the individual. Christmas hampers are organised with the Redemptorists’ Food Appeal, run by Fr Adrian Egan, and 500 children in Limerick got toys last Christmas, children who would not get a present otherwise.
“There’s help with expenses for Confirmation and Communion. We have a scholarship scheme going and in 2011 alone the SVP spent €150,000 on education through such support”.
The other 2012 Press Ball beneficiary of ticket proceeds is Limerick Marine Search and Rescue. Chairperson Jimmy Connors was joined by coxswain officer Joe Morgan and dive superintendent Tony Cusack to explain the upswing in the organisation’s activity.
“Unfortunately, callouts have increased over my 25 years with the service, from an average of 35 to 40 a year to some 52 callouts since November 2011,” said Mr Connors.
“It costs €4,500 to kit out a diver and we have 14 divers and 10 coxswains. A drysuit costs up to €1400 but our biggest expense by far is fuel”.
He works with 24 volunteers and three trustees. There are six new recruits in training, two of them women, and Mr Connors makes the point that “we are very proud of our work, very, very proud”.
Still, every call-out has to be funded for equipment, training, fuel costs and the maintenance of their Dock Road premises. To book the €80/ €100 (external) tickets, email [email protected]
The past three press balls alone raised €100,000 plus for charities. This year’s will be heald in Carlton Castleroy Park Hotel. Pictured at the launch was Jimmy Connors, co-founder and chairperson of Limerick Marine Search and Rescue.
