Klimbing up for Down Syndrome

Hi there! I’m Enya, I’m 24 and this September I am climbing Mt Kilimanjaro in aid of building a new centre for Kildare Down Syndrome Ireland (KDSI). The reason I have chosen to fundraise for the Kildare branch is because my little cousin, Aoife Reidy has Down Syndrome and this is the branch she attends. At present, the Kildare branch does not have its own centre meaning all of the wonderful resources they facilitate like speech and language therapy and the social activities they run such as dance classes are hosted in a variety of different venues scattered across Kildare. In the past 5 years, the branch has had to move headquarters twice. Moreover, the branch is run on a voluntary basis. The reality is these volunteers/ parents work 9-5 in their regular jobs, only to come home and, on top of raising children, have to coordinate KDSI and attempt to fund it. It’s a full-time job in itself. Things would be much smoother and simpler if they had their own centre which is exactly what I am hoping to help them achieve with this fundraiser! The cost of the trip is €4,699. This excludes vaccinations, insurance and equipment etc. Earth's Edge and KDSI have set my cost at €1,500 (all other expenses I pay myself) meaning the remainder of the trip will be paid by funds raised. Everything else, hence the majority raised will go to building this new centre for Kildare Down Syndrome Ireland! I really hope you decide to get behind this cause and help create a forever home for KDSI. Míle buíochas, Enya :)