Strabane teenager hits £100,000 fundraising milestone

A STRABANE teenager, who has been fundraising since the tender age of eight and vowed to reach the £100,000 mark before his 18th birthday, has spoken of his pride at reaching his goal as he prepares to celebrate that birthday tomorrow.

Seventeen-year-old Springhill native Corin Kelly Heron was speaking after he and his dedicated team of fellow fundraisers celebrated the milestone on Saturday evening. In attendance to honour Corin’s achievements was Derry City and Strabane District Council Mayor Ruairí McHugh.

Detailing how he began his journey, Corin said, “I started out on this amazing journey eight years ago to raise money for any charity I could. I would start off by setting small goals for myself, £100 being my first goal. From there I went up and tried reaching £1,000 and then £10,000 all of which I have achieved over the years. I would always joke that someday I’d get to £100,000 so I’m so proud to say I’ve done it…

“All of this would not be possible without the army of volunteers like me who put in the hours; counting money, selling tickets, organising events and everything in between.”

Corin also thanked those volunteers as well as the people of Strabane for their generosity over the years.

“We wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for the generous town in which we live, where people never failed to put spare change in a bucket or sponsor someone for whatever event was taking place.

“Unfortunately, I can’t possibly thank everyone, but it would be remiss of me not to mention my friend Cara McKane, who didn’t miss a day and has been by my side for every single thing, keeping me right; if she didn’t, I don’t know where we’d be today. Thank you to everyone how helped me reach my ultimate goal before turning 18!”

Adding his plaudits, Mayor McHugh said, “I was delighted to join Corin and his team to celebrate their incredible efforts. This is fantastic work and they should be very proud of themselves.”