Tractors, trucks, cars and motorbikes for Terryglass run
Preparations are well under way for The Little Angels annual tractor, truck, motorbike and car run, which is taking place from Terryglass on this coming Sunday, December 1.
There is going to be a great atmosphere as always in the village for the event, which is organised by Denise Cahalan and Andrew Hogan in memory of their first child, Andrea, who was stillborn on December 1 2017.
“This year is only the second time it has landed on Andrea’s actual date of birth,” said Denise, who first hosted the annaul run with Andrew since 2018. “We choose the Sunday nearest to Andrea’s date of birth every year, which normally falls on the first Sunday of December.”
Since being blessed with a little boy, Aidan, who will celebrate his fifth birthday on December 8, Denise and Andrew along with family and friends first organised the run as an intended once-off event in 2018, on what should have been Andrea’s first birthday.
But after being overwhelmed by the unbelievable support and the amount of parents and people who told them of their own stories of loss, they decided to make the run an annual event in memory of Andrea and all babies lost too soon.
“By doing this we want it to be a way for everyone who has felt baby loss, no matter how early in pregnancy or child's age at time of loss. We want it to be a way for all to come together to remember our babies, while raising money for amazing charities,” said Denise.
PRESENTATION OF PROCEEDS
The run this year is being staged to raise funds for the Irish Heart Foundation, and for Féileacáin the stillborn and neonatal death association, the not-for-profit organisation that provides support to anyone affected by the death of a baby during or after pregnancy.
“On the very first year we staged the run in 2018 we raised €9,500, which was split equally between two charities, Féileacáin and the worldwide charitable organisation that offers free professionally taken photographs of stillborn babies and babies who die early in life, ‘Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep’,” Denise revealed.
“We missed out on two years with Covid but got back going in 2022 where we raised €7,500 for Féileacáin and Childhood Cancer. We then went on to surpassed that in 2023 when we raised €8,670.20 for Féileacáin and Irish Cancer Society
“So far in total we have raised over €40,000 for charity. Other charities that we have supported over the years are Make A Dream and LauraLynn - Ireland’s Children’s Hospice,” Andrew told The Guardian.
Says Denise: “The run has had different surprises each year from Donkey from Grassmen attending to being contacted by a man from Cork wanting to support us. This same man along with two others made the journey to Terryglass via three John Deere tractors and has supported us every year since.”
All are welcome again to the run this Sunday and can find updates of the event in the run-up on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
REGISTRATION
Registration for the event, which will start and end in Terryglass village (E45XA59), can be made on the day from 10am, and the run itself kicks off at 1pm. While the auction starts at 11am, there will also be a raffle on the day.
Cost of entry: Trucks, €30; Tractors €20; Cars & Motorbikes, €10.
Vehicles taking part must be covered by their own insurance. Trophies will be up for grabs on the day for different categories. Food and entertainment will be provided after the run. Overnight parking for tractors and trucks and others taking part will also be provided.
As always, there event will also feature a display of Christmas Tractors, all lit up for the occasion, courtesy of Tuohy & Co, Borrisokane.
Denise and Andrew want to send a massive thanks to all the sponsors near and far who have supported the event each and every year. “We also want to thank everyone who helps out on the run up to the day, along with everyone that comes out to support on the day and along the route and those who support in any way at all, no matter how big or small,” said Denise.