Sonia O’Sullivan Statue Update

James McLoughlin has returned from competing in *Carving the Future: inheriting traditional craftsmanship, *the international woodcarving and sculpture competition in Dongyang, China and is now focused on crafting the life size plaster statue of Sonia O’Sullivan to the point where it is ready to be cast in bronze.

Fundraising is a huge challenge and the Strictly Come Dancing type fundraising event will be pivotal to raising enough funds to have the statue unveiled in August 2015. Dancers will commence weekly dance training in mid November and their dazzling displays of ballroom routines, glitz and glamour and a celebrity judge or two will make for a great night out on 13th February 2015. “We had a wonderful response from women wishing to emulate Ginger Rogers,” says Ursula Duffy. “Aspiring Fred Astaires were less forthcoming however, although we have almost reached our target of fifteen,” continued Ursula. Further applications from men and women are still welcome by contacting Ursula without delay on 085 1668271.

Progress since the summer of 2014 in raising the €33,000 needed to complete the statue is:

– Cobh Credit Union donated €2500 to kick start the fundraising.
– Cobh Tourism and See You in Cobh hosted a fundraising sell out concert in Cobh Heritage Centre that raised €1500.
– Merck Millipore, Glaxo Smithkline and BMC Cobh made substantial contributions.
– Ballymore Cobh Athletic Club and East Cork Oil made generous contributions.
– Anonymous donations of €35, €20 and €15 were transferred to the designated accounts in Cobh Credit Union and AIB Cobh.
– Cobh Tidy Towns donated the €430 proceeds of the raffle held at the Cobh Tidy Districts Awards.

Catalyst Cobh Women’s Business Network has announced that all of the proceeds of a raffle to be held at their Fashion Show will be donated to the Sonia fund. This event will take place in Cobh Heritage Centre at 6.30pm on Wednesday 19th November. The event is open to the public and entry tickets costing just €8 are available from Trade Winds restaurant.

St. Mary’s National School will celebrate Sonia’s birthday on 28th November with a novel twist on a copper trail fundraiser. Pupils will bring smaller denomination coins to school that they have collected at home and will use their imagination to create a birthday greeting for Sonia with a difference.

The Cobh Active Retirement SWELS have a fundraising event planned.

Cobh Tourism is still appealing to groups, clubs, schools and organisations to themselves organise fundraising events or for instance to hold a raffle as part of a fundraiser of their own.

Donations can be made directly to the dedicated account, number 17161 in Cobh Credit Union or to the bank account of Cobh Tourism Ltd. IBAN: IE88 AIBK 9340 62107690 45
BIC: AIBKIE2D