We talk a lot about what the GAA is all about but this takes it to a whole new level.
A junior club in Derry embodied community spirit and generosity when a small group of roughly 20 footballers and management set out to give something back.
Drum, a small club in north Derry, decided last month that they would raise money for charity and, in the middle of their season, amidst their regular training schedule and other things that people do in life – like working and that – the St. Colm’s folk took volunteerism to another dimension when they raised over 11,000 euro.
The players travelled the length of the county selling £1 tickets for their draw and managed to accumulate a total of £8,109 (sterling) of which none of it would be kept by the club.
Instead, Drum decided that all proceeds would be split between three charities working with people who suffer from Down’s Syndrome, dementia and disability.
It’s hard enough to raise money for a club and to keep your head above water but when some of the great work and great ideas are all for the benefits of others, this really is a special story.
The club hosted a seven-a-side tournament as the warm-up to their main event, an exhibition game put on by the Derry Special Needs team.
£8,109 will go a long way for the local charities that it will be donated to and, whilst it might only be a drop in the ocean compared to what’s needed to fund charity organisations, it is a significant step by a small GAA club with a big heart in just giving something back.
This is a real touching action by a group of footballers who just thought for a second that there were more important things in life.
The brilliant photo of the Derry Special Needs team bursting out of the changing rooms through a guard of honour was captured by Mary K Burke.
There are a lot of stories that will annoy you about the GAA. This isn’t one of them. This is one that will make you believe again.
