Stars shine for Howth RNLI

A FEW ‘famous faces’ dropped into the Howth area recently for a fundraising event.

Staff from SuperValu Sutton took part in Stars In Your Eyes at the Abbey Tavern to raise over €5,000 in aid of Howth RNLI.

Performers took to the stage dressed as their favourite singers and belted out familiar hits including Imelda May’s track ‘Mayhem’, Frank Sinatra’s classic ‘My Way’ and Paloma Faith’s ‘Upside Down’. 

During the interval members of Howth RNLI’s lifeboat crew took to the stage to perform ‘Home From The Sea’, a song written especially by Phil Coulter, to help raise money for the charity’s lifesaving work.

The lifeboat station was chosen as Charity of the Year 2016 by the supermarket and the fundraising event was organised by SuperValu Sutton staff members Garry Wickham, Angela O’Kelly and Cora Walsh.

The funds raised will be used to provide new crew kit and further training for the RNLI’s volunteer crewmembers to ensure their safety when they are saving lives at sea. Each year it costs €1,672 for ongoing training for each crewmember and a full all-weather lifeboat crew kit costs €1,602 to replace as a result of wear and tear.

Mr Wickham said people who volunteer to put their lives on the line to save others would inspire anybody. 

“We’re delighted to support a charity like Howth RNLI and to raise funds to enable them to launch the lifeboat to those who need their assistance,” he said. 

Howth RNLI fundraising chairperson Rose Michael said they were incredibly grateful for the amazing support they received from all the staff and customers in SuperValu Sutton this year. 

“The staff has put so much time and effort into organising this event and I’m delighted that they had a full house. I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as we did. It was a great success,” she said.