Dan braves winter in shorts for charity

Craigavon Postman Dan McAlinden, swecond from left, and his daughter, Lismore pupil, Caitlin, right, have raised £2079.20 for the Clic Sargent childrens cancer charity. Dan wore his Roal Mail uniform shorts throughut the winter and Caitlin organised a bun sale at the school. Pictured with the father and daughter team at the presentation of the cheque are from left, Mrs Dolores Foster, vice principal, Jack Nelson, local cancer sufferer, and Fiona McCann, Clic Sargent fundraising manager, Armagh/Down. INLM12-200

Dan said: “Jack’s dad works with me and I thought how can I do my bit for someone I know, so I decided to try and brave it out over our winter months in my Royal Mail shorts.”

Dan took to the streets of Moira in his shorts and the good people from as far away as Aghagallon, Glenavy and Crumlin heard about him and donated.

Dan’s daughter Caitlin attends Lismore Comprehensive School in Craigavon and with the help of Miss Smith and Mrs McConnell they managed to raise and extra £120 by selling buns in the school made by Caitlin and Dan.

The winter is over and Dan is still going strong so if you would like to donate you can still text HOWA66 to 70070 or Dan has a Justgiving page.

CLIC Sargent Fundraising Manager for Co Armagh Fiona McCann commented: “Dan originally said that if he raised £500 he would be happy, and now he has raised four times this amount.

“On behalf of the children and families we support, I’d like to say a huge thank you to Dan and his family, Lismore Comprehensive School and brave Jack for all there fundraising efforts – they are all an inspiration.”

On December 21 CLIC Sargent opened the first ‘Home from Home’ in Northern Ireland beside the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Belfast .The Home from Home allows families to stay free of charge near the hospital when their child is undergoing treatment.

All fundraising efforts are now focused on the second property which is being designed for teenagers and young adults. The teenagers and young adult’s Home from Home will be located in close proximity to Belfast City Hospital . Work on this property is expected to begin later this year.

The CLIC Sargent Homes from Home Appeal still needs to raise £1 million, if you would like to find out more visit www.clicsargent.org.uk or call 02890 725780.

Every week two children or young people in Northern Ireland are told they have cancer, and diagnosis usually comes as a shock. Treatment normally starts straightaway and can last up to three years. Although survival rates are over 80%, cancer remains the single largest cause of death from disease in children in the UK.

CLIC Sargent is the UK’s leading cancer charity for children and young people. It provides clinical, practical and emotional support for young cancer patients and their families, from diagnosis onwards. For more information visit www.clicsargent.org.uk