Hospice Sunflower Days are taking place nationwide for the 33rd year - with 19 hospices throughout the country holding on-street collections today (Friday June 9th) and tomorrow (Saturday June 10th).
Speaking about the 2023 Hospice Sunflower Days campaign, Danette Connolly, Chairperson of Waterford Hospice, told WLR News: “Volunteers will be selling sunflower merchandise to raise vital funds on Friday and Saturday. We are calling on everyone to mark Hospice Sunflower Days this year by supporting on-street or online at www.sunflowerdays.ie and donating what you can to help Waterford Hospice Movement."
Danette emphasised the local aspect of the Sunflower Days campaign.
"This is a national fundraising event but everything we raise locally stays here locally in Waterford. We will be able to use all the money raised to deliver Hospice services in Waterford," she explained.
"Waterford Hospice has been in existence over 30 years. It evolved from a very small service where the home nursing service was initially provided. We recognised the need to have a building to cater for people who cannot be cared for at home. It evolved over many years and most significantly through a donation of six million euro to the HSE so they could make the building happen."
Danette says the Waterford Hospice building on the grounds of University Hospital Waterford (UHW) is almost always at full capacity and is providing an "essential service".
L-R: Sheila Quinn, Communications & Fundraising Manager at Waterford Hospice; Danette Connolly, Chairperson of Waterford Hospice; and Dr Brian Creedon,Consultative Palliative Medicine Physician.
She says additional services have now been developed within the building to augment the Hospice's core services.
"Every room looks out onto the garden where we have plants, water features etc.," she explains. "We provide all the complementary services that make the overall service that extra bit special."
As well as the on-street collection, there is also an opportunity once again for the public to support their chosen Hospice or homecare service online. The virtual sunflower garden is open until the end of June and people can sponsor a virtual sunflower in memory of a loved one at www.sunflowerdays.ie
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