31/07/2009 -

Mayor Urges Support for St. John's Project

Mayor Councillor Jim McGarry has called on the people of the Northwest to support the St John’s Hospital Garden Room Project. The Mayor was speaking at a garden fete hosted at the hospital to raise funds for the facility. ‘St John’s Hospital has been a hugely valuable presence in the community for generations. The dedicated staff who work here are not merely doing  a job, they are expressing a vocation, and they have touched the lives of the many people who seek, solace, comfort and friendship within these cherished walls.’

The Mayor commended the members of the Fundraising Committee: ‘It is enormously difficult in these challenging times for any voluntary organisation to under-take a fundraising campaign, particularly one of this scale and importance. But it is an indication of the regard in which St Johns is held by our community that so many diverse groups have committed their support, from St Edward’s School, Drumcliffe ICA to the Riverstown Community. I think the fete is an opportune occasion to reflect on the importance of the St John’s Garden Project, and to promote its value to the wider community. The multi-purpose recreational area will be an oasis of calm and tranquillity for the people who reside here, their families, their friends and their carers.’

 
- Mayor McGarry with members of the fundraising committee on his recent visit to St. John's Hospital

The Mayor placed the project in context. ‘I would encourage people to embrace the Garden Room, not as a facility exclusively for St John’s, but as a marvellous gift to the community it serves. St John’s has given exemplary service to the people of Sligo and beyond for many years, and I feel that as a community it is time to reward this special service by doing our utmost to provide this facility. AS Mayor I will do everything in my power to ensure this project is brought to fruition, and I believe today’s fund-raiser is an important landmark in this very special endeavour.’