100 rally crews will take to the gravel stages of the Killarney Forestry Rally this month to raise money for The Irish Community Air Ambulance.
The event, which takes place on the 20th of February, will see as many as 100 crews competing, and all raising funds for this truly worthy cause. The Irish Community Air Ambulance is Ireland's first and only charity-funded HEMS Air Ambulance. It works in partnership with the National Ambulance Service and is tasked to respond to serious incidents and medical emergencies from its base in Rathcool, Co Cork.
Irish forestry championship
The Killarney Forestry Rally is the first round of the Irish Forestry Championships and is organised by Killarney and District Motor Club. Dermot Healy is Clerk of the Course, he said, "This is the club's first time running an event where 100 per cent of all profits will go to charity. We are delighted to be associated with the Irish Community Air Ambulance and have been overwhelmed with the response from the local community. Wonderful sponsors have come on board because of the connection with the Air Ambulance. The service is well known in this area and has helped many people locally. However, we want to raise awareness among the entire rally community because you never know when you or someone you love might need the service yourself."
€2.1 million to run the charity
The CEO of the Irish Community Air Ambulance, Micheál Sheridan said: "We are honoured that Killarney and District Club have chosen us as the beneficiaries of this exciting event. We are always looking for new and innovative fundraisers and partnerships. We expect it will cost €2.1m to run the charity this year which is a significant amount to raise. It is thanks to donations and fundraisers of all sizes taking place in communities across the country that we can bring hope to people when they need it most. Our crews treat the most critically ill and injured patients, often in rural locations, bringing them to the hospital that best suits their life saving needs, not just the closest geographically."
The air ambulance attended 512 incidents last year, making 2021 the busiest year since the service was launched. County Kerry was the location for almost a quarter of those incidents, and each mission costs around €3,500 to fly, all of which has to be raised through charity.
Ceremonial start on Saturday the 19th
The Killarney Forestry Rally on Sunday, February 20th will be based in the River Island Hotel, Castleisland. The ceremonial start will take place at Castleisland Mart on Saturday evening with the first car off at 10am on the Sunday morning.