McAlister family raises £3k for Marie Curie nurses

McAlister family raises £3k for Marie Curie nurses

14 April 2021

A DRUMANESS family have helped raise over £3,000 for Marie Curie nurses in memory of local woman Peggy McAlister.

The money was raised through a series of Easter activities including a virtual raffle and a socially distanced visit to homes in the village from the Easter bunny. 

Peggy, who was a well known figure in Drumaness, sadly passed away in August 2018. She was under the care of Marie Curie nurses which is why her family decided to raise funds for the charity.

Marie Curie offers free care in partnership with NHS to people with terminal illnesses, as well as offering support for family and friends.

Lianne Mackin, Peggy’s granddaughter, said: “We decided to do this as something for the kids in the village.

“My granny loved events which involved getting dressed up and having fun so we thought this was a suitable way to raise money in her name.”

On Easter Sunday, the Easter bunny was driven around the village by Lianne’s uncle, Aidan McAlister, to hand out eggs to the children.

A visit from the bunny was made in return for a small donation to the charity. A series of spring-themed wreaths were also for sale online with all proceeds going to Marie Curie.

Lianne helped organise the event alongside her mother, Margaret, and uncle Aidan. Her aunt, Bernie Hillen, helped with the virtual raffle, which consisted of a number of prizes donated from local businesses.

“We cannot thank everyone who donated enough. A special thanks has to go to the numerous businesses which kindly donated prizes to be raffled” said Lianne.

“AMCA Structures donated 500 litres of home heating oil as the top prize alongside a whole host of local businesses that contributed so much to make the day a success.

“We ran a fundraising Easter coffee morning two years ago, which was also a great success. We think these yearly events are a great way to keep my grandmother’s name alive and raise money for charity.”

Donations can still be made in aid of Marie Curie by visiting Lianne’s Facebook page at 

www.facebook.com/lianne.mcalister.