Tractor Girls pit stop in Carlanstown

Ten girls recently travelled 1,000 miles across the UK and Ireland on ten tractors in support of various charities, stopping off in Carlanstown, Kells, during the Irish leg of their tour. The girls, who called themselves the Tractor Girls 2010, set out from John O Groats, Scotland, on 27th June and travelled to Lands End, England. On 22nd July, they took off again from Oranmore, Galway and travelled over three days to end up in Fingal Vintage Festival, Lusk, Dublin, raising much need funds and awareness along the way. The Irish Motor Neurone Disease Research Foundation was chosen as the sole Irish beneficiary. Four of the girls are the Moore sisters from Killucan, Co Westmeath and the rest of the girls are from the UK. They met with members of Moynalty Steam Threshing Committee and North Meath Vintage Club in Carlanstown. Vintage groups throughout Ireland came out in support of the girls and Meath proved to follow suit with the two groups in question supporting the girls by giving them a donation in support of the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Research Foundation. Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a progressive and incurable neurological disorder that leads to muscle weakness and wasting, which affects some 250 people living in Ireland today, with approximately 85 new cases identified each year. The Irish Motor Neurone Disease Research Group has been active for 20 years and has made many contributions to the understanding of the condition. The foundation is a new charity set up to promote and support research carried out by the group. The IMNDRF is delighted that the Tractor Girls choose their charity as the sole recipients for the Irish leg of their journey. "Attaching MND research to such a novel event has certainly increased awareness of MND research and for this we applaud the Tractor Girls 2010," said IMNDRF CEO Catherine Lynch. Increasing awareness of the condition is an ongoing initiative and the Irish Motor Neurone Research Foundation, together with their sister charity The Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association (IMNDA) have recently launched a nationwide 'pledge for MND campaign'. The idea is a simple one and stems from an initiative pioneered by Kyle MacDonald, a young Canadian blogger, who once traded his way from a single red paperclip to a house in a series of online trades over the course of a year. The charities have already managed to turn a signed Padraig Harrington putter into a hot air balloon ride. For the purpose of bringing fun into fundraising, each trader is welcome to keep the previous trade. Currently the hot air balloon ride is gone to Donegal where it will be raffled off during an upcoming event, all proceeds of which will go towards securing another trade in the chain. People are only limited by their imagination! All solo parties, social or corporate groups are invited to get involved. The campaign will run until December 2010 during which time members from each group will be available to talk about MND.