Spain will reign at fun-filled fiesta

At the launch of the Spanish Fiesta in aid of the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind at JM
Reidy’s were, from left, Anne O’Riordan and Ger O’Riordan, Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, Karie O’Toole, organiser, Niamh Sheahan, JM Reidy’s and Colette Kiely, Irish Guide
Dogs for the Blind. Pictures: Riona MacMonagle

A KILLARNEY charity champion is planning a gruelling walk along the Camino De Santiago in memory of her beloved dogs and to raise funds for the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Karie O’Toole will embark on the epic journey on August 17 and she will tackle stage one of the hugely demanding route, traversing the Pyrenees and reaching a daunting height of 1,500m on day one alone.

Karie O’Toole (left) and Niamh Sheehan pictured with Junior, a trainee puppy, and ambassador dog Marcel

She will join 24 others on the journey and their mission will be to conquer one of the most demanding stages of the entire Camino.

Karie, from Muckross, is taking on the challenge in memory of her beloved dog, Teddy, who died three months ago and, more recently, their other much loved family dog, Oscar, who was killed in an accident.

After a chance meeting with volunteers from the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, Karie decided to raise funds for the charity which relies very heavily on donations to survive. It costs €53,000 to train one guide dog and this year it will cost over €5 million to run the charity with 85 per cent of income coming from donations.

Tribute: Karie’s dogs Teddy (right) and Oscar in whose memory the walk is being staged

Karie, who has never hiked before, is currently training for the big challenge and she is determined to complete her mission for such a worthy cause.

As part of her fundraising campaign, she will join forces with the team at JM Reidy’s on Main Street and they will host a Spanish Fiesta on June 23, commencing at 6.00pm.

Reidy’s Courtyard will be the venue for a rousing night of all things Spanish, including sangria, tapas, paella, Rioja and entertainment and some wonderful and valuable prizes will be raffled on the night.
Tickets, which are limited, cost €30 and are available for sale at JM Reidy’s or directly from Karie on 087-3291546. Karie is also running a fundraiser on her Facebook page with a target of €3,000 and people can donate on the page.

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