Longford fundraiser: Continuing the legacy with Trek for Theresa

It's been a difficult year for the Quinn family. The passing of Theresa McDermott Quinn last February was felt deeply by everyone who knew the dynamic and brave woman who showed her character in her battle against cancer.

This time last year Theresa, along with her family and friends, took the second trek across Ardagh mountain to raise funds for the charity LARCC.

Close to 400 people turned out to show solidarity with the Longford woman as she raised funds for the leading cancer support charity.

It was Theresa’s wish that “Trek for Theresa” would become an annual event in her memory. To that end her family and friends are continuing with the fundraising efforts.

The Trek is a 5km walk, but there is a shorter route for people just up and down the mountain that's around 2km. This year the beneficiaries are the nurses at Longford Palliative Care and the Night Nursing Team who provided invaluable care and compassion.

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Theresa's son, Shane Quinn, is one of the organisers of this year's Trek: “It's been a busy year, a hard year,” he told the Leader.

Shane said his mother's commitment to the event was a large part of its success: “She's so proud of it. She started it up two years ago. She's gotten on brilliantly over the last two years and I suppose she'd love to be here to keep it going, but unfortunately her luck wasn't in.”

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Building a fundraiser that grows year-on-year is no easy task. Theresa never let her illness interfere with her life and the things she loved: “Mammy didn't really let people know she was sick as such. She was always out living her life as normal, doing her shop and things like that.

“When she set up the Trek with Teresa for LARCC back in 2022 the whole community got behind her, her friends, family, everyone supported mammy and what she was doing. She put so much work into it.”

There was an astonishing public response on the day: “She was delighted with everyone who turned out, delighted with the amount of money raised, with the people who helped out, and everyone that donated. She was really thankful for everyone and that's why I suppose we're making an annual thing now.”

The choice of Longford Palliative Care and the Night Nursing Team couldn't be more appropriate recipients of the money raised by the 2024 Trek: “She always wanted it to be for charities connected to the local community.

“They were so important to Mammy while she was sick. They were amazing and we want to give them back something.

“Mammy wanted it to go to this organisation. I'm sure you can imagine we had a lot of people contacting us about promoting the Palliative Care Team and the Night Nurses. The amount of work they do is incredible.”

The starting point for the walk is the Ardagh Moydow GAA Club, an appropriate spot: “The Ladies Club in Ardagh made her the first ever president of the club last year. She was very proud of that.

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She never missed a match, but the support the GAA Club in Ardagh has given to her is amazing, both before and after she died. When she was sick they helped out in every way they could.

“Mammy put a lot of work into the club as well from the secretary and club notes. Every night of the week she was sitting down doing something. When she wasn't going to a match she was typing up something,” Shane said.

Trek for Theresa takes place on August 31 starting at Ardagh Moydow GAA grounds at 12:00noon and the organisers are hoping as many as possible can join on the day to remember Theresa.

Donations can be made online via iDonate/trekfortheresa, sponsorship cards, Revolut to 087 6323373 and on the day.

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