Joe Murphy, chairperson of the Harvest Fair Committee and Chairperson of the board of Milford Care Centre and Pat Quinlan, chief executive, Milford Care Centre get into Harvest Fair mode by serving up some ice cream cones to staff and local children at the launch of the Milford Hospice Harvest Fair 2019. Photo: Keith Wiseman.
Milford Care Centre’s Annual Harvest Fair is being held on a most appropriate day this year, Sunday, September 1, the first day of autumn and the middle of the harvesting season. The Fair, which is being held in the University of Limerick Campus in Limerick, opens at 11am.
Always a well-supported and organised event, where the range of goods donated by the community far and wide is quite amazing, this long-standing event, heading into its 34th year, owes its success and longevity to the contribution of the many volunteers that work tirelessly to prepare for and run this day-long Fair and indeed to the generous support it receives from communities across Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary.
Launching the Harvest Fair in Milford, the chairperson of the Harvest Fair Committee and Chairperson of the board of Milford Care Centre, Joe Murphy, was fulsome in his praise for the dedication of the team that work behind the scenes to deliver an event that is unique in nature and renowned for the array of goods for sale each year and for being such a fun day out for everybody.
“The Milford Harvest Fair, which is a free of charge event, is so traditional in nature; that’s what makes it the success it has become. It’s a day out for families, where the adults can ponder and select their bargain purchases and the children can be equally entertained scanning the toys on offer and partaking in the great entertainment on site throughout the day.
“It’s an event for everyone, young and old; for those who have an association with Milford Care Centre and for those who don’t but simply want to support our fundraising efforts and give back to their community. The range of stalls this year will include books, toys and a host of miscellaneous goods, including handbags and scarves for the ladies; this was such a success last year that we just had to include it again this year. It’s simply a fun day out for the family and all are welcome.”
Milford Care Centre chief executive, Pat Quinlan, stands back in awe of the amazing work done each year by the Fair’s committee and the large group of volunteers that give of their time so effortlessly.
“We could not achieve the level of fundraising we do without the volunteers; they complement the work of our wonderful in-house team and give of their time so generously and effortlessly. Fundraising is a very important element of our work as all the monies raised go towards the provision of our much-needed specialist hospice services across the Mid-West.
“Our new state-of-the-art Mid-West Hospice at Milford is now fully operational, enabling us to provide services of the highest standards. The very generous donations of so many people in the community we serve across the three Counties of Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary – contributed greatly to making this possible. The Annual Harvest Fair is a great opportunity for everyone, the general public and loyal supporters of the work of Milford Hospice to gather in celebration of the work being done and to shop for bargains at the same time. There is always a bargain to be had at the Harvest Fair!
The call of donations of goods for the Milford Harvest Fair 2019 is now open. Donations of good quality items for the stalls will be accepted from Monday, 19 August until Thursday, 29 August. Books, however, will only be accepted for 1 week: Monday, 19 August until Friday, 23 August. All items should be delivered to the goods acceptance area in Milford Care Centre located at the bottom of the carpark; directional signs will indicate the exact location on site. Donations of new and used items for the perennial favourite, the Wheel of Fortune, are also being sought.
