Celebrity doodles do oodles for charity

DON’T give up the day job is the message for many of the celebrities who put pen to paper for a cancer charity — but at least it was for a very good cause.

British Prime Minister David Cameron was just one of a range of well-known people from the worlds of film, TV, music, theatre, politics, sport and the arts to produce a signed “Doodle”, a simple little drawing or sketch. The framed doodles will be auctioned off in December in aid of Cork ARC Cancer Support House.

Sports stars who took the time to scribble include rugby stars, Ronan O’Gara and Frankie Sheahan, former athletic stars Sonia O’Sullivan, Eamonn Coghlan and Marcus O’Sullivan, Cork hurling star Sean Óg Ó hAilpín and the entire All-Ireland-winning Cork football team.

Musicians Christy Moore and Daniel O’Donnell also feature, along with Gay Byrne and wife Kathleen Watkins, Nationwide presenter Mary Kennedy, chef Ross Lewis, radio presenter John Creedon, writer Maeve Binchy and model Rosanna Davidson.

Two of the doodlers, Rachel Allen and Miriam O’Callaghan, spoke of the experience of cancer impacting on their lives, with Rachel Allen saying she was especially delighted to support the cause.

“I lost a great girlfriend to cancer so the charity is close to mine and everyone else’s heart.”

Broadcaster and journalist Miriam O’Callaghan said: “I feel very close to the ARC Cancer Group as when my sister, Anne, died from cancer tragically young leaving two tiny daughters behind, all of her friends and family fundraised after her death and gave a large donation to ARC House in Dublin.”

Cork ARC Cancer Support House is staffed by trained volunteers and professional counsellors offering cancer patients and their families and friends a wide range of support services alongside therapies complementary to medical care including meditation, massage, yoga, art therapy and stress management.

Medical oncologist and chairman of the board of ARC Seamus O’Reilly, who had the initial idea for the doodle auction, said: “As a voluntary organisation entirely dependent on fundraising, every cent we raise is vital but it is equally important to raise awareness.”

The doodles will be exhibited in the AIB on the South Mall, Cork, from November 18 and can be viewed online at corkcancersupport.ie. The auction takes place in the Clarion Hotel on December 2.