Vintage tractor run around Ireland raises money to fund 200 mental health counselling sessions
When five men took their five vintage tractors on a five hundred mile trek around five Ballycastles in July, they were aiming to raise five thousand pounds for a mental health charity...
Sammy and Mark Gault (Ballymoney), Jonathan Calderwood and Ian Calderwood (Portglenone) and Mark Getty (Upperlands) took on the unique challenge in aid of the Olive Branch mental health charity.
Between Thursday, July 25 and Saturday, July 27, the five men and their five vintage tractors travelled from Ballycastle in County Antrim to Ballycastle in County Down, then onwards to Ballycastle in County Mayo before returning to the north coast via Ballycastle in County Derry/Londonderry and finishing back in Ballycastle on the Causeway Coast.
Sammy was driving a Zetor and the other boys travelled on four Fordson Majors – and they did it!
As well as raising funds from the tractor run itself, the men also organised a charity night at Jimmie’s Bar in Greenlough for the official cheque handover.
Delighted to have raised £7,260 from their tractor run, the five friends pushed on with their charity work, organising an evening of entertainment with music from Philip Strange, an auction and raffle bringing their grand total to £8,612.
Jonathan, Ian, Mark and Sammy made a cheque presentation to Alan Mulholland and Leone Neill from The Olive Branch.
Leone said: "We are just delighted to have the support and every penny raised will directly impact their local communities. At present they have raised enough to cover aproximately 200 professional counselling sessions and the value of this is immeasurable. On behalf of all at The Olive Branch a massive thank you.”