Thousands fast for charity

Thousands of people are today taking part in the annual Trocaire 2fm 24-Hour Fast.

Thousands of people are today taking part in the annual Trócaire 2fm 24-Hour Fast.

Last year 15,000 students in over 300 schools and 4,000 individuals from around the country raised over €1m for the charity’s long-term development programmes worldwide.

This year the event will focus on the Philippines, where millions of people live in poverty, often without a secure home or even a clean water supply.

RTÉ 2fm DJ Ruth Scott recently returned from a trip to the Philippines where she visited some of Trócaire’s development projects supporting education, healthcare and land rights programmes.

“We’re trying to encourage people to take on the fast this year and have some fun with it,” she said.

“Organise a group of fasters in your school or workplace, or invent your own alternative to fasting. Most importantly, get involved and see how great it feels to support communities in the developing world.”

Fundraisers who don’t want to fast are being urged to try and raise money by other means, such as giving up smoking for 24 hours, turning off their mobile for a day or holding a sponsored dinner party over the weekend.

For more details or to register for the fast visit www.trocairefast.org.