Barretstown and Flahavans Launch Magical Reindeer Food Appeal for Children

BARRETSTOWN LAUNCHES MAGICAL REINDEER FOOD APPEAL TO HELP CHILDREN AFFECTED BY CANCER AND OTHER SERIOUS ILLNESSES

• Barretstown has teamed up with Flahavan’s for a fourth year to create ‘Magical Reindeer Food’, a festive treat for Santa’s reindeer.
• Magical Reindeer food is on sale now in Applegreen and Dealz stores nationwide, with all proceeds going directly to the charity.
• With just 4% of its funding coming from the government, funds raised through donations and the sale of ‘Magical Reindeer Food’ will help Barretstown continue its mission to restore the lives of as many children and their families affected by cancer and other serious illnesses as possible.

Barretstown, Ireland’s leading provider of psychosocial care for children impacted by cancer and other serious illnesses, has once again teamed up with Flahavan’s, to produce ‘Magical Reindeer Food’. Now available to purchase for €2 in Applegreen and Dealz stores nationwide, with 100% of proceeds from the sale of each packet going directly to the charity.

Officially launching this year’s ‘Magical Reindeer Food’ appeal was camper Conor O’Donnell, alongside his brothers Shane, Rory and Patrick. At just 5 years old, Conor was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour and faced 22 months of chemotherapy. Throughout his treatment, Conor and his family spent time at camps in Barretstown where they received 24/7 onsite medical care and took part in therapeutic programmes, tending to both his physical and psychosocial needs.

Barretstown is Ireland’s leader of psychosocial care for children impacted by cancer and other serious illnesses and provides specially designed therapeutic   camps to meet the individual needs of each child. To date, the charity has served over 125,000 campers.

All services provided to children and their families at Barretstown are free of charge, with only 4% of funding provided by the government with the remainder supported by donations and the fundraising efforts of corporate supporters, individuals, and community groups.

Fionnan O’Shea, Impulse & Food Service Brand Manager at Flahavan’s said: “We are incredibly proud to partner with Barretstown for the fourth-year running. Magical Reindeer Food is a simple festive tradition that brings joy to households across the country and knowing that every packet directly supports children living with serious illness makes it even more meaningful, and we are honoured to play a part in helping them continue their mission.”

Rosie Begley, Social Impact Manager, Applegreen said: “Applegreen is proud to continue supporting our charity partner Barretstown through this wonderful initiative. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our customers, Magical Reindeer Food has become a cherished Christmas tradition and helped us to raise an amazing €2.1 million over 3 years to fund over 6,000 priceless days for children and families at Barretstown.”

Thomas Macken, Charity Manager at Dealz added: “Dealz is thrilled to support this partnership again. Barretstown creates unforgettable experiences for children who need it most and provides life changing psychosocial camps and programmes. Magical Reindeer Food has become a beloved part of our Christmas offering, and we’re delighted that every purchase makes a real difference to families across Ireland and encourages everyone to pick up a packet and give back this festive season.”

Dee Ahearn, CEO of Barretstown added: “At Barretstown, our mission is to restore the lives of children and families affected by cancer and other serious illnesses. We do this by delivering specialist psychosocial care to children and young adults through our therapeutic programmes. We see first-hand the transformative impact of this work, and we know how essential fundraising is in enabling us to continue.

None of this would be possible without the extraordinary generosity of the public and the vital partnerships and initiatives like Magical Reindeer Food. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Applegreen, Dealz and Flahavan’s for their continued support. Their generosity helps us welcome more campers each year and ensures we can keep delivering life-changing services.”

There are many ways the public can support Barretstown this Christmas. To learn more visit https://barretstown.org/