The sad loss of a number of family members and friends to chest, heart and stroke illnesses was the inspiration behind Ardboe Coldstore Ltd.’s recent Cars and Coffee event which was held at their Magherafelt site.
The family-owned business, which is a state-of-the-art warehousing and logistics provider, wanted to support the work of Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS), helping local people get back on their feet after suffering from one of these devastating health conditions, and investing in research for the benefit of future generations. The car enthusiasts and self-confessed petrolheads decided on a fun-fuelled day of awesome automobiles on display, with complimentary drinks, sweet treats, and waffles for everyone who came along. Supporters also had a chance to try their luck in a raffle, which thanks to the kindness and generosity of those who donated, included some terrific prizes such as VIP Ulster Rugby tickets and vouchers for Galgorm Resort.
The event was a roaring success, with hundreds coming along to show their support and dig deep into their pockets for NICHS. An outstanding amount of £7500 was raised on the day, far exceeding Ardboe Coldstore’s original fundraising target. Director, Eugene Carson, was keen to express his sincere gratitude to everyone involved saying; “We are absolutely delighted to be able to present NICHS with such a fantastic amount which will go such a long way to support their services. Our motivation was to honour the memory of our friends and family by helping this worthy cause close to our hearts and it would not have possible without our staff and volunteers, customers, and suppliers. I would also like to give a special mention to my daughter, our Marketing Manager Zara, for coming up with the idea and all her hard work in making it happen. We also really appreciated the NICHS staff and volunteers who came along to help out too.”
Nadia Duncan, Donor Development Manager for NICHS, expressed her thanks on behalf of the charity commenting; “We are always overwhelmed by the kindness of those who wish to support our work in memory of a lost loved one. They are motivated by the fact that helping fund our care and prevention services, and research, may help stop other local families having to suffer the pain and sadness of the loss of someone they love to a chest, heart or stroke related illness.”
“Today, up to one in three of the population here are living with a chest, heart or stroke condition. Almost 90% of our income comes from public donations so fundraising efforts like Ardboe Coldstore’s are vital for our charity and what we can achieve. This is an incredible gift towards our work, and we thank all the team at Ardboe Coldstore for their tremendous efforts on our behalf and all those who donated.”
Find out more about how you can fundraise in memory of loved one or colleague or at https://nichs.org.uk/how-you-can-help/donate-in-memory
