Athboy family prepares for twelve peak challenge

A group of brothers and sisters from Athboy are undertaking a massive challenge in which they plan to scale 12 peaks in Snowdonia in Wales at the end of May. The McLoughlin family are taking on the Snowdonia Challenge in aid of the charity 'Here To There', which supports children with autism in Meath. The siblings, Noel, Olivia, Peter and Philip McLoughlin and Catherine Doggett will be joined by friend, Karen Smith, in the challenge which will take place on 26th and 27th May. "Our first day consists of climbing five peaks over 3,000ft, while on the second day, we will attempt seven peaks, which includes the highest peak in Wales, standing at an impressive 3,458ft," Noel explained. They are taking on the climbs to raise funds for the a charity run by dedicated volunteers who spend their time organising fundraising events to help support children with autism in Meath. "We, as a family, know the struggles and fears that parents of autistic children go through every day for we have a family member with this condition, so when we learned about Here to There, we saw this as an opportunity to get out there to help create awareness for this very worthy cause," he said. They want to raise as much money as they can, so they have arranged a couple of events before the challenge, including a supper dance on 21st April in the Old Darnley Hotel, Athboy. Matt and Paul Leavy will provide the music. It starts at 8pm and tickets can be purchased by ringing Noel on (089) 451 3775, Peter on (086) 066 3896, Karen on (085) 142 2789 or the Old Darnley Lodge Hotel on (046) 943 2283 or they can be bought on the night. They are also holding a tractor run on 20th May, starting in Rathmolyon at 12 noon and participants are asked to give a donation with each entry. The siblings are organising a 'Euro Dumper' fundraiser in May, in which they will drive a vintage dumper through every village and town in Meath. Their aim is to fill the bucket with loose coins and they are asking everyone to please throw in any loose change they might have in their pockets. "Your few coins could contribute to a child being able to communicate for the first time to their parents or provide them with a means of getting around by giving them a wheelchair. It could also buy special toys to develop sensory skills. "These are just a few examples of how the money collected could be used to improve the quality of life for a child with autism and for their family as well," added Noel.