As part of Hospice Care Week LOROS are asking local schools, businesses, shops and various other organisations in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to take part in a simultaneous Non-Uniform/Dress Down Day event on Friday 10th October 2014.
LOROS would like to invite everyone to participate by wearing their own clothes (ideally with an item of YELLOW), a smile and bringing a £1 donation to LOROS.
This county-wide fundraising is inspired by Liam O’Halloran. Here, he tells why he is so grateful to LOROS.
Patrick O’Halloran, a father-of-three and grandfather-of-seven, spent just four days at LOROS before he died on October 20, 2013, aged 89. In that short space of time, the staff and volunteers made a big impression on his family - so much so that his son, Liam, is now vice chairman of the charity’s patients and carers panel, and is organising a county-wide fundraising drive to support the Hospice.
Liam said: “I had people who had had parents and friends at LOROS, so I knew a bit about the charity and had heard only good things. But you don’t really understand until you have experienced it for yourself. My dad had been ill for about two years before he needed end of life care. Right from the start, his time there was as comfortable and painless as it could be. He had his own room and I stayed the whole time. There wasn’t a moment in those four days that the staff were anything but wonderful. Everyone was so considerate and they always knew exactly what he needed, and what we needed as a family as well. When someone’s in pain like my dad was, you don’t know what to do - you want to help but can’t. There’s none of that uncertainty at LOROS because they take care of everything. Everyone was so attentive.”
“The night my dad died, I was on the chair next to him and I could hear him breathing. I nodded off at about 2am, woke up later and couldn’t hear anything, and I knew he had gone. He passed away peacefully and I have LOROS to thank for that. The care was just exceptional. It’s really hard to explain just how exceptional. What I saw in those four days was just amazing.”
“Now, I’m vice chairman of the LOROS patients and carers panel, and I’m organising a dress-down day for schools and workplaces across Leicestershire. I want to give my time and effort to make sure other people can benefit from LOROS, just as we did. We’ve got a dozen schools doing the dress-down day, as well as workplaces around Leicestershire, including HSBC - at their head office and branches around the county - Pukka Pies, in Syston, some Sainsbury’s stores, Sturgess Group, B&Q stores in Leicestershire, Walkers Midshire Food and Santander (to name just a few). Also Leicester City Council, Leicestershire County Council, Harborough District Council and Melton Mowbray Council put their hands on deck.”
Peter Soulsby, Leicester City Mayor said: “LOROS does fantastic work for Leicester and Leicestershire. We welcome every opportunity to support this fundraising and I'm sure many city council staff will engage in the spirit of this event. I'll be in my jeans and I'll search out something yellow to wear!"
This is an amazing opportunity for us all to come together to unite and fundraise as a County. LOROS hope that this will become an annual event and that it will grow more successful year on year.
If you would like to join in, please call LOROS Fundraising Department on 0116 2318431/2 or email: fundraising@loros.co.uk
