CAFRE raise boatloads of cash for Air Ambulance NI
Date published:
Agriculture Education staff from Greenmount Campus at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) have raised £3,250 for the Air Ambulance NI charity by taking part in the 2021 Dragon Boat Race on the River Lagan on 10 September. The charity is especially close to all our hearts due to the amazing service they provide to the rural community in Northern Ireland.
Staff which included administration, instructors and lecturers readily agreed to take part in the initiative and received support from colleagues across CAFRE.
Commenting on behalf of CAFRE, team leader, Joe Mulholland said: "When we accepted this challenge we were about to return to face to face teaching with face masks and social distancing still in place and it was really great to have a sense of working together on something at a time when we were having to remain relatively separate from each other.”
On the day the team of 15 staff put in a fantastic effort, winning both of their heats and finishing in fifth place out of fifteen teams entered in the race.
“Air Ambulance NI provides an essential service that helps people right across Northern Ireland and has saved lives thanks to its highly responsive ability to access people in need quickly and efficiently. CAFRE engages with students and agri businesses from right across Northern Ireland and many in remote rural locations so our agriculture education team are delighted to be able to support the Air Ambulance NI, a partner of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS),” said Joe.
Kerry Anderson, Head of Fundraising at Air Ambulance NI, said: “£2million is needed in fundraising every year to keep the Air Ambulance flying so the medical team can treat trauma patients. This includes funds from community events, Club AANI members, gifts in wills and partnerships with local businesses. We rely heavily on the support from businesses and we are thrilled with CAFRE’s final total. Every donation could save a life. It’s not only the medical crew who save lives, but the people who support the charity.”
Notes to editors:
- Photo caption: CAFRE’s Agriculture Education Team recently competed in the 2021 Dragon Boat Race on the River Lagan raising £3,250 for the Air Ambulance NI charity.
- Follow DAERA on Twitter and Facebook.
- All media queries should be directed to the DAERA Press Office.