This article is from page 32 of the 2008-09-09 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 32 JPG
IT costs some €20,000 to run Bun- ratty Search and Rescue annually and the service is heavily dependent on fundraising. The money raised for the group by gardai on Saturday will be put to good use.
Bunratty is one of seven water- based emergency services across the county to benefit from the 20th an- nual Garda Charity Cycle. Dozens of gardai will cycle the 130 kilometres trek starting in Ennis and finish- ing up in Twomilegate in Killaloe, throughout the day on Saturday.
The club recently spent more than €30,000 refurbishing the boathouse in Bunratty and it intends to put the money collected by the gardai to- wards the upkeep of the building. When the boathouse was built in 1998, the club had very little money at its disposal. Over the years, damp- ness came through, so the outside walls had to be realigned.
The only funding the club receives is 2,000 from Clare County Coun- cil every year. Aside from that, the club carries out its own fundraising.
“We have a lot of collection boxes in pubs in Limerick and Bunratty,
while families of people who have been recovered from the water ar- range functions and send us money. We also receive donations,’ said club treasurer Bob Potter.
While the regular income is low, the expenditure is high as much needs to be purchased to keep the club in existence. Money is spent on petrol, insurance, heating, lighting, phone bills, wetsuits, body bags, welling- tons, cradles, while the two boat’s engines have to be serviced on a reg- ular basis. Training programmes are essential and also cost money to run.
As treasurer since 1989, Mr Potter
knows at first hand the significance of ensuring there is enough money to keep the club running. “The club is always in the red because we plan ahead and watch the pennies,’ he Cr nCee
“Locally, the support is excellent,” he added.