Louisburgh set to host 'Little Ava' fundraiser

In a world where bombs and bluster are dominating news feeds, a surge of kindness and humility is sweeping through a Mayo community. Four-year-old Ava Naughton is in Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London, fighting bilateral, metastatic Wilms tumours, and the people of Louisburgh at home and worldwide are rising in support of her.

Ava's mother, Kate Geraghty, is a native of Kilsallagh in Louisburgh, and she now lives in Dublin with her husband John and their cherished little family. However, they now face the huge challenge of helping Ava through her battle for life, and the people on the shores of Clew Bay and the surrounding areas are supporting them every step of the way.

The well-known group of women who make up Janet's Fundraisers in Louisburgh have been working tirelessly behind the scenes in recent weeks, and the response has been beyond anything they could have
envisaged.
“Everyone wants to help, and it's so humbling to see the raw kindness of people,” Brenda Staunton, one of the eight women who make up Janet's Fundraisers, told The Mayo News.

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The local secondary school students in Sancta Maria College have undertaken a sponsored walk, numerous other efforts are now bearing fruit, and donations are flowing in from all over the world on the group's idonate page https://www.idonate.ie/crowdfunder/janetsfundraiserslouisburgh.

Outpouring of love

The eight friends who have raised over €250,000 in little over a decade for various charities have been blown away by the outpouring of love and support for Ava and her family.
“We cannot thank people enough for their efforts, and now we're hoping for a huge turnout on Sunday next, Easter Sunday, for our big day in Louisburgh Town Hall to help our brave little superwoman,” Carmel Cox explained.

The event will see crowds pack into the Town Hall from 12 noon until 3pm. The fundraisers are asking people to join them for a cuppa, and patrons are promised some of the best cakes and treats on the planet. There will be no charge for the teas and coffees – people are just asked to make a donation to the fundraiser.

There will also be a much-anticipated Easter bonnet competition, with prizes for both the best adult and best child’s bonnet. The adult prize is a voucher for Peggy’s, The Mall Boutique, and the children’s prize is a Paddington Bear wearing his Easter bonnet!

In addition, the following Louisburgh businesses are running a €2 per line Easter hamper draw for little Ava: Gala; Ketterick’s Butchers; 7 Wonders; Tia; O’Malley’s Builder Providers and Corrib Oil. Staunton’s Allcare, Louisburgh, is also running a €2 per line draw for a pre-loved Coach handbag.

The entire community at home and abroad have come together to support little Ava, and they're asking for one big push on Sunday to send a surge of love and solidarity to Ava and her family in Great Ormond Street.