A Co Roscommon farmer has raised over €11,000 for charities over recent weeks of Covid-19 restrictions without leaving his kitchen.
"I decided to turn house arrest into an opportunity to do some good for national charities," said Will Keane, who lives near Knockcroghery, a village close to Lough Ree.
He began running quizzes from his kitchen table in aid of a different charity each week. The idea was inspired by the recent cancellation of Daffodil Day (which raises funds for the Irish Cancer Society) due to the pandemic.
The 39-year-old has been running quizzes in Knockcroghery for the Jack and Jill Foundation over many years, and decided this time to try out the concept online in a virtual live quiz.
"The first fundraiser raised €2,500 for the Irish Cancer Society and those taking part expressed an interest in this being a weekly event," he said. Since then the quizzes have raised more than € 11,000 for Crumlin Children's Hospital, Alone, the Samaritans and Women's Aid.
Final quiz
He “wanted there to be two hours in the week where we forgot about the coronavirus and I try and create as much fun as possible. We have a live music round with me playing tunes on the melodica, badly, and each week we have a different theme where players send in pictures of themselves [dressed up] in that theme,” he said.
Those taking part have, so far, dressed in daft hats, as cartoon characters, and as the cast of Father Ted.
With this week's final quiz on Friday, May 1st, he is hoping to raise funds for the Mayo Roscommon Hospice in honour of "a friend of mine, Irene Beirne". She had raised huge amounts of money for the Mayo Roscommon Hospice but "sadly lost her own battle with cancer" last year, he said.
Details are on Facebook under Will's Kitchen Table Quiz for Mayo Roscommon Hospice. The theme is "county colours" with participants encouraged to dress in their county or club colours.
