Charity event in Naas in aid of Kildare's McAuley Place

ABOVE: Gay and Maud Nolan (McAuley Place) with Mayor Cllr Fintan Brett and Mayor of Naas, Cllr Seamie Moore, Cllr Bill Clear, Cllr Anne Breen, Caothairleach Cllr Carmel Kelly, Cllr Fintan Brett and Deputy Mayor Cllr Ger Dunne - Promoting the upcoming 1000 Golf Ball Drop in aid of McAuley Place. Photo: Aishling Conway

McAuley Place, a not-for-profit housing association in Naas town, is delighted to announce Ireland’s First Ever 1,000 Golf Ball Drop & Family Fun Day which will take place at Craddockstown Golf Club, Naas Co Kildare on Sunday 20th July at 3pm and will be live streamed on the day.

This event aims to raise funds for a much-needed expansion of McAuley Place where currently there are 53 social and private apartments for the elderly, fully occupied, with a substantial waiting list.

Together with Kildare County Council and the support of the wider community, this facility is striving to grow.

The next stage involves an extension to the existing facility. The adjacent Beaufort site has been acquired which, when completed, will provide an additional housing block of circa 43 units with a vibrant new space for older residents of the wider community.

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This unique fundraising event will drop 1,000 pre-numbered golf balls from a height of over 100 feet onto an especially prepared green on the eighteenth golf hole at the beautifully manicured parkland course at Craddockstown Golf Club.

Pre-numbered golf balls will be sold at €50 a ball, with all funds going to the McAuley Place charity. There will be prizes for
the three pre-numbered golf balls which end up closest to the golf hole, or in the hole itself, after being dropped from over 100 feet. First prize will be €5,000 for the ball nearest the hole, or in the hole itself, second prize will be €1,500 and third prize will be €1,000.

The family fun day will take place close to the golf ball drop and will include children’s activities eg. Face painting; entertainer; magic; games; live music with PA system; ice cream and BBQ. In advance of the main 1,000 golf ball drop there will be a 250 coloured plastic golf ball drop from over 100 feet especially for children. Each pre-numbered plastic golf ball can be purchased on behalf of children for €5 each and again all proceeds to the McAuley Place charity. There will be three children’s prizes for the three pre-numbered plastic coloured golf balls which end up closest to the golf hole after the 100 feet drop.

According to Patricia Darling, Chairperson of McAuley Place, “the proceeds from this fundraising event will support the new social housing development at Beaufort which will be a huge addition to the town of Naas. When complete, the new complex will connect seamlessly with the existing site via the Woodland Garden. The expanded campus will continue to be a space where all in the community can connect, regardless of age, ability or disability, where arts and crafts will be used as tools for engagement and to enhance wellbeing, and where tourists will be able to engage with the living history of Naas while
meeting members of our wonderful community.”

Together with invaluable statutory funding, the cost of developing the original McAuley Place apartments on the Convent of Mercy site was underpinned by the support of the local community in the form of financial contributions and voluntary work for which we are forever grateful. 95% of the new Beaufort project is being funded by the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) grant through Kildare Co. Council and the Dept. of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

The remaining 5% will be raised by fundraising initiatives. Funding is urgently needed for this important project and all donations will be most welcome.

For tickets and more information, please contact Reception in McAuley Place at 045 897833 or book online.