Mascot Toby leads fundraising campaign

TV PRESENTER Sybil Mulcahy and media personality Brendan O’Connor joined forces with independent toy retailer, Toymaster, last week to support its

‘Toby for Charity’ fundraising campaign in aid of the Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation.

People are being asked to visit Banda Toymaster store in Mary Street to purchase a

‘Toby’ mascot puppy to raise much-needed funds for the charity that has supported 441 families in Dublin since 1997.

The proceeds will provide home nursing hours for 60 Dublin based families with sick children.

Thousands of Toby puppies are being made available for purchase for just e3 in 33 Toymaster stores across the country until the end of August. All proceeds from the sale of the puppies will go to the Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation.

This is the second time Toymaster has run the

‘Toby for Charity’ initiative in aid of Jack & Jill. Last year, almost 700 hours of home nursing support was made possible from the sale of the Toby puppies.

Toymaster spokesperson Ciaran Fitzpatrick said last year’s campaign was a resounding success.

“So we are delighted to be supporting Jack & Jill once again, with every cent raised from the initiative going to the charity,

? said Mr Fitzpatrick.

“Working in and supporting local community is very important to Toymaster so the

‘Toby for Charity’ campaign is very meaningful, as each Toby sold helps a child in the local community.

?

Jack & Jill provides direct funding and home nursing care support, including end of life care, to families of children with brain damage up to the age of four-years-old who suffer severe intellectual and physical developmental delay.

Caroline Thomas, a nurse at the Foundation, said:

“We give these families the gift of time which means time to do the things that we so often take for granted like shopping, taking their other children to the park or a night’s sleep.

“Jack & Jill relies on the generosity of the Irish people to raise these much-needed funds.

?

Ms Thomas added:

“The

‘Toby for Charity’ initiative is greatly appreciated and will make a big difference once again to the lives of families of very sick babies.

?