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OVER 750 people were cared for by Kerry Hospice Foundation in 2015 and comedian Mario Rosenstock is calling on everyone to get on board for Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning for Hospice together with Bewley’s.

To support the event in Killarney, you can drop into the Killarney Royal Hotel tomorrow, Thursday, from 10am to midday, where the Killarney branch of the Kerry Hospice Foundation will welcome you.

The Gleneagle Hotel will also be among businesses in Killarney putting on the kettle tomorrow for the charity.

It is simply €2 per cup of tea or coffee, but feel free to donate what you can as all proceeds will go direct to Kerry Hospice.

In addition, O’Brien’s Sandwich Bar, Killarney Outlet Centre, and Killarney Credit Union, Beech Road, will host coffee mornings.

Other businesses and individual householders will host events to tie in with the funds drive also.

This year is Ireland’s 24th Biggest Coffee Morning for Hospice since the major annual fundraiser first started in 1993 with some €32m raised to date. Last year, Kerry Hospice Foundation raised over €44,600 through 33 coffee mornings. Bewley’s provides all the coffee free of charge nationwide and all money raised locally goes directly to local hospice care services.

Mario Rosenstock said: “I’ve been delighted to be involved with the hospice for a few years now and in that time I've seen at first-hand the work they do and the care they give. I’ve always found it an uplifting experience meeting the patients and residents. Each and every hospice patient is treated with wonderful kindness and dignity at such a vulnerable time.”

In 2015, Kerry Hospice home care nurses attended 541 patients and made almost 4,600 home visits. In addition, there were 242 patients attending palliative care unit, making 1,815 visits. The cost of the home care service for 2015 was €76,733.

Money raised from Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning for Hospice will go towards the building of an inpatient unit consisting of 15 beds costing €6.2m and funded by the Kerry Hospice Foundation. The group has also committed to donating €400,000 towards the running of the unit for five years.

Ted Moynihan, chairperson of Kerry Hospice Foundation, said, “We are 26 years old this year and provide palliative day care and home care, serving 755 people annually. The Kerry Hospice is in the process of building an Inpatient unit with 15 beds all ensuite, construction has begun and it’s hoped that the facility will be ready for use in late 2016 or early 2017.”
 

 
Above: Bewley’s brand director Mark Saunders, Ted Moynihan, chairperson of Kerry Hospice Foundation, Davy Fitzgerald, Mario Rosenstock and Mary Shanahan, Kerry Hospice Foundation.