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Local business man Joe Carroll of OMG @ Zhivago and his daughter restauranteur Gill have been announced as sponsors and participants of Galway Simon’s ‘Sleep out for Simon’ event taking place on Friday 7th of October from 8pm to 8am. The duo hope to raise €5,000 through their participation and they have offered the front of their premises, OMG Zhivago and 56 Central, on Shop Street as the main base for those participating in the sleep out.
The event will see people from Galway and Mayo swap their beds for sleeping bags to raise awareness and funds for local homeless charity, Galway Simon Community. The main event will take place on Shop Street with smaller events being organised by supporters of the charity in Athenry (by Sonny Murray), Corinthians RFC (by Sharon Fitzmaurice) and Castlebar (by Danny Coffey).
As both Joe and Gill spend most of their days and nights in the city centre, they see first-hand the issues of homelessness that exist, often leaving work late at night so see someone asleep outside their shop only to find them there again in the morning.
“As I cycle to work in the morning I am shocked to see the sleeping bags curled up in doorways” says Gill who lives in the city herself.
Having worked closely with a young person who ended up homeless this summer, Gill and her father realised how easy it is to fall into homelessness and literally get lost in the city without a good support group around you. It was a real eye opener for both of them to see how vulnerable these people really are.
The duo hope to raise €5,000 with the support of the crews from both 56 Central and OMG @ Zhivago. Both businesses will be asking fellow business partners and suppliers to support this cause.
“With Christmas coming and cold winters nights, this is really the time to help Galway Simon Community raise awareness and money for these people in our own community” Gill said.
To support the father daughter duo please search for ‘Sleep out for Simon’ on www.justgiving.com. All proceeds will be used effectively and transparently to prevent and address homelessness here in Galway. Anyone who is interested in getting involved should contact Amy Lavelle in Galway Simon on [email protected] or 091381828.