Lovin' Limbo: Aware

Hey everyone!

The most significant aspect of being Miss United Nation Ireland is to concentrate on charity and volunteer work. One of the organisations I am working with is Aware, which works towards helping to defeat depression in Ireland.

Aware's mission is to create a society where people with depression and their families are understood and supported, are free from stigma and have access to a broad range of appropriate therapies to enable them to reach their full potential.

When I was in Dublin for the Which Course Expo, I had a meeting with Sandra and Kate, who are involved in public relations and fundraising for Aware respectively. They explained to me how the organisation helps people in Ireland, through the Depression Support Groups, LoCall Helpline and education initiatives such as Beat the Blues and Life Skills Programme, among others.

While I was there, we went through some ways in which I could use my title to raise awareness for the charity as well as ways in which I could volunteer. One such way was to be involved in the Daisy Days collection.

Daisy Days is a national campaign which takes place every year and is Aware’s biggest fundraiser annually, so it’s easy to see how important it is in terms of supporting the organisation’s work. All over the country, volunteers sell pins and bulbs as well as collect donations. This year, the event took place from the 16th - 18th September.

I volunteered to do some collecting in Limerick city and so, on Friday the 17th, I could be found in Arthur’s Quay Shopping Centre with two other volunteers – Liz Connelly and Maebh Fenton.

I would like to thank the photographers from the Limerick Leader and the Limerick People who came to take a few shots and therefore supported Aware in their own way. While it was quiet in the shopping centre, quite a few people did find the time to buy a pin or bulb or donate what they could, plenty of whom even donated more than the suggested €3.

Every donation counts as Aware relies on public donations and fundraising for more than 80% of its annual funding. If you couldn't donate to a collection in your area and would like to support Aware, you can donate online here;http://www.aware.ie/get_involved/donations_initiatives/donations/

I am looking forward to working with Aware again in the near-future and greatly appreciate the opportunity I have been given to use my role as a public figure to raise awareness for such a cause.

Until next time,

Samantha (Sami) Long

Miss United Nation Ireland 2010.