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Over 800 munchkins attended the Jack & Jill Foundation’s Family Fun Day in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham on Saturday 19th June, the theme for which was The Wizard of Oz. According to John Moloney, TD, Minister for Equality, Disability and Mental Health who addressed the families, “Securing the funding for nurses for Jack & Jill is a priority over the next 2 to 4 weeks.” The children’s charity is lobbying Ministers Moloney and Harney and the HSE to increase Jack & Jill’s funding level from the current 19% level in order to make Jack & Jill’s home nursing care service more sustainable and less reliant on mobile phone recycling and public donations.
At the Jack & Jill Fun Day everyone enjoyed the sunshine, the company and the beautiful setting of the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, the magic show, bouncy castles, face painters, stilt walkers, unicyclists, DJ, caricaturist, special sensory room with fibre optic displays, as well as the Army Pipe Band and Weapons Display and Dublin Firebridgade. This is a very special annual event for Jack & Jill where mums meet mums, dads meet dads and the brothers and sisters see that they are not the only children with a fragile baby brother or sister. The Foundation is very aware of the needs of the siblings of Jack & Jill children.
Our Thanks to Tracey Marsden for organising such a wonderful day and to the following sponsors for their support:
John Keogh and Shay Howlin from It’sKidzBiz.com, Nestle, Tennant & Ruttle, Lily O’Brien’s, Sean Mooney & Hasbro, The Air Corps Pipe Band, The Army Military and Armoured Weapons Display, The Dublin Fire Brigade, Our Volunteers from the Kildare Volunteer Bureau, DSPCA. The Irish Wheelchair Association, An Garda Síochána, Caroline & Emma (Play Specialists), The Irish Association of Felters, Photobooth.ie.
A special word of thanks to An Taoiseach Brian Cowen for gifting us the use of the Royal Hospital Kilmainham and to Catherine O’Byrne and the Office of Public Works for all their help in the run up to, and on the day of the event.