Wind Farms Run raises vital funds for children at University Hospital Limerick

The SSE Airtricity 5k Tournafulla and Rathcahill Wind Farms Run took place on Saturday 20^th June, as part of the 2015 Global Wind Day celebrations.  The event raised over €1,000 for the Children’s Ark Unit at University Hospital Limerick.

The run took participants through a scenic 5k route between SSE Airtricity’s Tournafulla and Rathcahill Wind Farms in West Limerick. SSE Airtricity has a total of four wind farms in the region, which have a combined capacity of over 100MW and supply greener and cleaner energy to around 50,000 homes.

The Children’s Ark is a purpose-built paediatric unit at University Hospital Limerick. There are 49 beds in the unit’s Sunshine and Rainbow wards, as well as a high-dependency unit, a cystic fibrosis unit, a diabetes care department and the Caterpillar day ward. The unit also includes the Children’s Ark School, which provides primary and secondary level education to children requiring care at the hospital.

Tournafulla and Rathcahill Site Operator, Sean Carter, said: “I want to say a big thank you to all the runners and volunteers who turned out on the day. It was a fantastic event. The runners all seemed to enjoy the picturesque route, and we raised vital funds for the children at University Hospital Limerick. At SSE Airtricity, we’re proud to make a positive difference to the communities in which we live and work, and the money raised here will do just that.”

The SSE Airtricity staff on site donated their time to organising and running the event through the company’s Be the Difference programme. The programme gives every SSE Airtricity employee the opportunity to take a day out of their usual schedule to donate their time to a charity or community event of their choice.

Peig Harnett, C.N.S. (Clinical Nurse Specialist) at University Hospital Limerick, commented: “It was a great event for the local community and it raised important funding for the Children’s Ark. We want our facilities to give the children the most holistic care possible and put them on the road to recovery, and that’s what this money will go towards.”