On Wednesday evening, June 19th 2013 we will again hold our annual Grasstrack event which we run for local charities. Our grasstrack is now in its 7th year and we hope this year it will be as much of a success as previous years. Over the last six years the club has raised in excess of £41,000 at our charity grasstrack events for local charities which are close to the hearts of club members and their families. This year is no different, as we have again picked two local charities and will divide the proceeds in half for both of these very worthwhile causes. The money raised at this years event will go to the Lucy Parke Fund and The Grove Day Centre, Ballynahinch.
Below is a few paragraphs to give you a brief insight into each of these very worthwhile charities that will benefit from our event:
Lucy Parke is the daughter of David and Stephanie Parke from Drumlee, Castlewellan, County Down. She was 3 years old on 10th Nov 2012. She has a condition called Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome. (More information available here: www.progeriaresearch.org) This is a premature ageing disease which means Lucy’s body will age eight times faster than others. It is a very rare fatal genetic condition with only 100 known cases in the world. Lucy is the only child in Ireland with the condition. Lucy has normal mental ability and can walk for short distances. She is talking and singing like any other 3 year old. She looks different to other children and has growth failure, loss of body fat, hair loss and a poor appetite. From an early age Lucy will have arthritis and heart problems and these will contribute to a much shorter life.
As yet, there is no cure for Progeria, but doctors around the world are discovering new aspects of the condition and are testing different drugs so as to give children like Lucy the best quality of life. Lucy Parke Progeria Fund was started shortly after Lucy’s diagnosis in 2010 as friends, neighbours and strangers wanted to help in some way. The money has been raised for when she needs something either to make life easier for her or for any treatment that she needs which may not be funded by health boards. Lucy has hospital check-ups on a regular basis but is generally healthy. She is small in stature but has a big personality with big brown eyes and a smile that will light up any room. She loves being the big sister to Jake and Jenny and is a very loveable and special child.
Lucy parents have been blessed by many good friends and have a strong Christian faith. “Lucy was sent to us for a reason and we thank God for her daily. She has enlightened our family and we have grown closer to God and stronger in our faith because of her. She has changed our lives and will continue to impact the lives of so many others in Northern Ireland and throughout the world.”
“For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 29v11
The Grove Day Centre Age N.I. Is located on the Antrim Road, Ballynahinch. Their aim is to support and encourage older people to remain active, independant and to enjoy life to the full. We provide a friendly, caring and stimulating atmosphere for all attending the centre.
Grove Day Centre is registered for 15 Service Users per day and is purpose built to suit the needs of older people. A well balanced meal is provided each day. All our service users have an opportunity to participate in the therapies, activities and seasonal outings. Recently some of our Service Users had the chance to participate in a basic computer course which they thoroughly enjoyed. We have also had Mulberry Cottage Crafts in at the Grove to do Brooch Making and Bonmarche came to Grove to enable some of our Service Users to see their range of clothes and purchase some new clothes. We also do outings and day trips. At Christmas we went to the Millbrook Lodge Hotel and at Easter another outing to the Harbour Inn, Annalong. Our summer outing have not yet been planned and we are hoping to have a Jewellery making class late summer. Our clients love to do craft making, Knitting, Pot Planting and baking. Movie Days where the service Users would watch a movie and enjoy Popcorn and we also have the hairdresser in on a Tuesday morning and a coffee morning on a Friday. When the weather is good we would go for a run to Brennans for ice cream so we are always busy doing something and welcome new ideas
Caring for and providing activities to keep the older generation occupied is our primary aim at The Grove Day Centre.
Plans for Wednesday 19th June are very much well underway. The press launch took place on Tuesday night past (June 4th) with a photo below. As with previous years, we will not only have the grasstrack racing to look forward to. We will have displays of classic cars and motorcycles, along with custom trucks. Face painting will also be on hand to keep the kids entertained.
We will be having Grade A, Grade B and Grade C solo classes (entries will be limited to 60 Grade C competitors, first come first served basis) There will also be classes on the night for Quads, Sidecars and Evo’s in our racing programme.
Entry Forms for this event are now available to download; please click here. Please get your entries in quickly, as we always have a big demand for this event and can only cater for limited numbers in each class.
Photo © MWK Mourne MCC Ltd
Signs erected around the Ballynahinch area in preparation for the event…
