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9
NEWS
Aug/Sept 2011 www.esb.ie/em
25 YEARS ON REMEMBERING THE ESB POLE OF LIGHT PROJECT
In 1986, ESB employees pushed a pole for 1000 miles around the country and raised funds for the paediatric scanner for Temple Street Children’s Hospital
AT LEAST 700 employees from the staff of ESB took part in pushing a standard wooden electric pole around Ireland and raised a substantial amount of money for Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin. The initiative was supported by the then ESB Chief Executive, Paddy Moriarty.
The pole run marked the 40th anniversary of the commencement of Rural Electrification and it was launched at a news conference in the hospital on May 29th 1986. From that date it became known as the ‘Pole of Light Project’.
The Pole was mounted on a specially designed and constructed chassis which was put on public display for in the Hospital’s garden.
The run was organised in conjunction with the Child Health Foundation and monies raised were for a scanner and camera for the hospital. With the equipment the hospital felt that with a scanner wholly dedicated to paediatrics they could offer the whole country a more efficient service.
THE TOTAL MONEY RAISED WAS £250K
ElectricAid special appeal
Famine in the Horn of Africa
THE SITUATION IN THE Horn of Africa (Somalia, Southern Ethiopia, and North-East Kenya) is worsening by the day, and has been officially declared as a famine by the UN. The rains have failed – in some places for three or more years – and at least 10 million people are now on the brink, experiencing food and water shortages. Crops have failed, food prices have exploded, millions of animals have died, and hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced. Some are in camps, many more are on the move. In some camps, agencies are reporting daily deaths in the tens and hundreds – particularly of children and vulnerable adults. The situation is made so much worse because Somalia, the worst-affected country, has no functioning government, and is a lethally-dangerous place for many agencies. Starving people are walking for up to three weeks to reach help.
ElectricAid is reaching out once again to our members and supporters. We appeal to the generosity of the ESB family to help at this critical time. We know that we are in danger of wearing out our welcome, after your generous response to our Special Appeals for Haiti & Pakistan in 2010. We know that times are harder at home, and that people have less in their pockets than before. Nevertheless, we have no choice: We are asking you again to reach out to these people in their darkest and most desperate hour.
The on-line out-of-payroll donation facility is open on the ElectricAid intranet site. Please donate now – it is the best thing you will do in 2011.
If you prefer, please use the deduction form below, fill it in and send to ElectricAid, D3C, Head Office. This form is also widely available in hard copy all over ESB.
We know that the ESB community, staff, pensioners, members, supporters, will respond again. Thank you.
ElectricAid was founded in 1987 in hard times in Ireland, as a direct response to the Ethiopian famine of the 1980s. Once again, hunger afflicts millions of people in the region. We were generous then, and we can rise to the challenge again!
The funds raised will be directed only through reputable Irish agencies already on the ground in the region. These agencies are known and trusted by ElectricAid. We know that with our help, they will get the job done and save many, many lives. ElectricAid has already donated €40,000 from its own reserves, to Oxfam Ireland and Concern.
ElectricAid is now set up on Mycharity.ie. You can also donate directly through this website or maybe even run an on-line fundraising event through the site!
