The Alzheimer Society of Ireland partners with Virgin Media Television to get the nation ‘Jumping for Jack’
The Alzheimer Society of Ireland and Virgin Media Television are launching a fundraising and awareness week, Donate for Dementia, starting tomorrow, Monday 22nd March and running until Sunday 28th March.
Donate for Dementia week will include special programming across Virgin Media Television shows to help raise awareness and funds to support people with all forms of dementia. The week will conclude with the highly anticipated broadcast of Finding Jack Charlton, which captures his undocumented battle with dementia as well as looking back at the extraordinary life of this Irish sporting legend.
As part of the week, we’re asking the nation to Jump for Jack by doing as many jumping jacks in one minute and to donate and share their jumping jacks on social media, challenging friends and family to take part.
To kick start the week, tomorrow morning on Virgin Media One’s Ireland AM, presenters Karen Koster and Tommy Bowe will start the challenge and will ask viewers to send in their Jumping Jack videos which will played on air through the week.
Also on Ireland AM, former Irish soccer captain Andy Townsend will explain what it was like to work under the legendary Jack Charlton and husband and wife, Gerry and Nuala Paley, will be talking about their lived experience of the condition.
Following on from Ireland AM, Teena Gates will be joining Elaine Crowley on The Elaine Show to chat about what it is like being a full time carer for her dad. We will also get an insight through a short clip on what a day in the life of looking after her dad is like.
On the Six O’Clock Show, Muireann and Martin will sit down with former Love Islander and rugby pro Greg O’Shea who is helping raise awareness on the major impact dementia has on families, by sharing stories of his beloved late grandmother who lived with dementia.
And finally, to conclude Monday, The Tonight Show will host former Government Minister Nora Owen who will be talking about her own story caring for her husband, Brian, who sadly passed away last year.
HOW PEOPLE CAN HELP
- DONATE FOR DEMENTIA Go to www.donatefordementia.ie or or ring (01) 5541680 and donate whatever you can.
- DO JUMPING JACKS FOR DEMENTIA To celebrate the premiere of the moving Finding Jack Charlton documentary, thousands of people, families, clubs and businesses are taking on the Jump For Jack Challenge and doing as many Jumping Jacks as they can. Then share on social media, donate and nominate a friend or family member.
- NOMINATE OTHERS TO TAKE THE CHALLENGE
Jump for Jack - Ask Yourself
- How many Jumping Jacks can I do?
- How many people can I get to join me?
- And how much money can we raise for dementia?
- Just pick your target. Pick your teammates. And get jumping.
- Go to donatefordementia.ie or ring (01) 5541680 to make your donation.
Virgin Media Television presenter Martin King will open up about his own personal experience with dementia in a special documentary called ‘We Need To Talk About Dementia’ on Virgin Media One on Sunday 28th March (8.00pm).
Martin’s mother, Christina, was diagnosed with dementia and sadly passed away in 2019. His father, Martin Senior, who was in the same nursing home, and room, as his mother, died just four weeks before her. Martin talks to members of his own family, people in the community and those with a lived experience of dementia about lifting the stigma that is often associated with disease.
The special awareness and fundraising week will conclude with the broadcast of the Finding Jack Charlton documentary on Virgin Media One on Sunday 28th March (9.00pm). This compelling documentary, which The ASI are a charity partner for, looks at this Irish sporting legend and his previously undocumented life with dementia.
The Donate for Dementia fundraising and awareness week starts tomorrow, Monday 22nd March and runs until Sunday 28th March, concluding in the highly anticipated broadcast of Finding Jack Charlton at 9pm on Virgin Media One.
