Family thanks community for raising £40,000 for Air Ambulance NI
The family of John Doole, a young child from Kilkeel who died tragically following a road traffic collision in February, have thanked the community for their support, after their charity tractor run raised more than £40,000 for Air Ambulance NI.
The family released a statement, which read: "John’s Tractor & Truck Run, organised through Mourne Vintage Club, took place on Saturday, August 1, and we are completely overwhelmed and humbled by the incredible support shown by our local community.
“Almost 300 vehicles were officially registered, with many hundreds more people coming along throughout the day to show their support. Through registration fees, raffle tickets, donations, our JustGiving page and a street collection, an incredible £40,207.21 was raised, all in John’s name for Air Ambulance Northern Ireland.
“We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who donated through our JustGiving fundraising page. Every single donation, no matter the amount, helped us reach this incredible total and will make a real difference to Air Ambulance NI.
“Air Ambulance NI holds a very special place in our hearts. When we needed them most, their helicopter emergency medical service was with us within just 16 minutes.
"When every second counts, that rapid response can make all the difference.
“None of us ever imagine that we will need a service like Air Ambulance NI until the day comes when we do. We never imagined we would need them either, but our experience showed us just how vital this service is. We hope that the money raised in John’s memory will help Air Ambulance NI continue to be there for other families when they need them most.
“At the beginning of this year, our lives changed forever when we lost John. Not a day goes by that we don't miss him. John was a much-loved son, brother, uncle and a special friend to so many people. His smile, kindness and presence will never be forgotten.
“We hope that we made John proud on the day and we hope his memory will continue to inspire us and others for many years to come.
“We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to every single person who helped make the event such an incredible success, including: Mourne Vintage Club for all their help and support; A1 Workwear for providing the high-visibility vests; Stephen Cousins Flooring and Holly K Nails for sponsoring the event T-shirts; Savage & Witton for generously providing drinks, sauces, tea and coffee; Pit Stop for donating burgers; Asda Kilkeel for donating burger baps; Sammy John, Joanne and family for doing an amazing job on the barbecue; Cunningham’s Butchers for the chicken kebabs; GeeGees Bouncy Castles, and Gregory and Eileen, for providing the bouncy castles; Jackie Jamison at Stick & Print for making the T-shirts; Ballyvea Hub for allowing us to use their excellent facilities; All our friends and neighbours who allowed us to use their fields for parking; Every individual and business who donated a prize to John’s raffle; Ian Parker for bringing along the helicopter; and a very special thank you to close friends of the family who anonymously donated a calf to be sold at Rathfriland sale, raising an incredible £1,900.
“A special thank you must also go to Bebihonn and the entire team at Air Ambulance NI for their support throughout this journey.
“The generosity of our community has left the Cousins/Killen family completely overwhelmed. At a time of unimaginable grief, seeing so many people come together in John's memory has meant more to us than words can ever express.
"We hope to make John’s Tractor & Truck Run an annual event, continuing to raise money for Air Ambulance NI in John's name and keeping his memory alive for years to come.
‘From the Cousins/Killen family, thank you all once again for your kindness, generosity, thoughts, prayers and support.
‘John, you will never be forgotten. Your smile will live on in all of us.
‘With heartfelt thanks,
‘The Cousins/Killen Family’.