Temple Street Fund-raiser

Dundalk FC, in partnership with club sponsor Fyffes, has raised over €7,000 for Temple Street Children’s Hospital under the club’s new purple-patterned ‘third kit’ initiative revealed to fans last March.

Worn in place of the club’s familiar white jerseys in EA Sports Cup and the FAI Cup matches, the new purple kit is reproduced in the colours of Temple Street Foundation.

“Thanks to the generosity of our main sponsor, Fyffes, the new purple Temple Street kit really struck a chord with our supporters, who themselves have been extremely generous with their donations,” said Dundalk FC chief executive Mark Devlin.

Withholding trademark

Clearing the way for the club’s initiative, club sponsor Fyffes agreed to withhold its trademark from the front of the new kit in order to give full prominence to the hospital.

Responding, Fyffes managing director Gerry Cunningham – himself an enthusiastic proponent of the scheme – praised Dundalk FC management, players and staff for what he termed ‘a truly generous and unselfish undertaking’.

“Through imaginative ideas such as the third-kit scheme, untold benefit is brought to those young patients whose recovery depends so much on such activities,” he said.

Essential equipment

The money raised – which is intended to fund essential equipment and care provided for over 147,000 patients treated by the hospital each year – came from a combination of sales of the new kit, salary donations from players and staff and a bucket collection at a recent match.

Denise Fitzgerald, Chief Executive, Temple Street Foundation added: “Sick children need great care right now, and the incredible funds raised as part of this partnership will be put to work where they are needed most in our wards, departments, theatres and Intensive Care Unit – ensuring that our little patients continue to have access to world-class care when they need it.”

With more games to go, Dundalk FC expects to continue fundraising through various activities announced previously.

Those interested in supporting Temple Street by purchasing Dundalk FC’s new third kit can do so online here.