Great turn out for Navan memorial night run in aid of Irish Hospice Foundation
Hannah McNamara
Navan-based personal trainer, Aoife Bradley organised a memorial night run in support of the Irish Hospice Foundation.
The Never Forgotten Night Run was arranged to give the people of Navan the opportunity to gather together to remember their loved ones. Participants met in Penny Lane at 4.30pm Saturday, 25th November and completed a 5km loop around the town, finishing at The Central.
A memorial Christmas tree and Letterbox to Heaven were waiting at The Central for all participants. People were encouraged to bring photo baubles or ribbon to tie on the tree, in memory of a loved one. The letterbox allowed those who are dealing with grief or loss to write a letter, note, Christmas card or colour a picture to their loved one. These additions to the night were to bring comfort to those who are struggling with loss, especially at this time of year.
Speaking about the event, Aoife said it was "everything I could have dreamed for in one evening."
She added: "We all had one thing in common last night, grief, the loss of a loved one, but we all brought them very close to us. I'm very proud of our community."
As it is a run not a race, the event was suitable for all abilities and a range of ages attended. There were 150 participants all together, including both adults and children.
Each participant payed a minimum of €20 to register and this made the night run an absolute success with many funds raised for the worthy charity.
After choosing the Irish Hospice Foundation charity, Aoife said: "When you're struggling with grief, the services that Irish Hospice Foundation provide are just incredible."
To finish the night, there were hot refreshments and entertainment in The Central. The local artists who performed on the night were Adam Grimes, Aaron McBride, Ella Kelly, Rita Brogan and violinist Anna Murphy.
Aoife said: "The aim of the night was to bring people together and that's exactly what it did. I've been receiving so many lovely messages from people saying that the event brought them so much comfort."
The Central have kindly offered to keep the memorial tree and letterbox at their venue for the remainder of the festive season. Aoife said: "For those who were unaware of the event or simply couldn't go, they can go out for food or a drink and hang a bauble on the tree or leave a message in the letterbox."
Last year Aoife held a Remembering Me Walk by Candlelight, after losing her 83-year-old dad, Aiden unexpectedly in the October.
The idea originally came from a similar event held in Dublin each year. In a previous interview with Meath Chronicle, Aoife explained where the motivation came from for the walk by candlelight event: "I saw that St Anne's Park does a walk every November with November being the month of All Souls. I lost daddy on the 5th October, and I thought why can't Navan do something like this. I thought let us all come together and try and give ourselves some comfort with everyone being there for the same reason."