By 
THE scenic surrounds of Sloughan Glen was brought to life with the magic of Christmas recently as families from near and far flocked to a quaint cabin to meet jolly old Santa Claus and raise money for two brilliant local causes.
The sparkling ‘Santa’s Grotto’ night, which took place at Cedar Lodge, was organised recently by Drumquin lady Phyllis Fitzsimons, in aid of Care for Cancer, the main beneficiary, with some additional fundraising for the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust.
As part of the festivities, children enjoyed a meet and greet and story time with Santa Claus and were given a special present to take home, while adults availed of a raffle which featured prizes kindly donated by local businesses.
Speaking to the Ulster Herald, Phyllis described the event as ‘a truly wonderful success’.
“We have been running a ‘Santa’s Grotto event like this for the past three years, choosing a different charity each year,” said Phyllis. “This time round, we chose to focus on Care for Cancer, as there have been quite a few people diagnosed with cancer in Drumquin over the past year and sadly there have been some losses too. Unfortunately cancer affects every family on some level.
“I have also had some friends who have gone through cancer battles, and they have raved about how good Care for Cancer is, and how valuable their services are. So we thought that it would be a brilliant charity to fundraise for.”
Phyllis added, “We then later decided to do some extra fundraising for The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust as there has been a family we know from Drumquin who sadly lost a loved one over the year and needed to use their services.
“So far, we are delighted to have raised approximately £2,500 for Care for Cancer and £1,200 for Kevin Bell, but there are still donations to be counted.”
With around 80 children running about Cedar Lodge on the day, Phyllis said that the event warmed the heart.
“The lodge really does lend itself to being transformed into a magical grotto,” Phyllis said. “We saw children, parents and grandchildren enjoying the festivities. There were twinkling lights and decorations, as Santa told stories and gave children presents. We were lucky that it was a lovely clear and dry evening and everyone had a brilliant time.”
Phyllis concluded by saying a heartfelt thank you to everyone, both new and familiar faces, who came along on the day, as well as to the businesses who donated raffle prizes and everyone who donated to the charities.
She added a further word of fond thanks to her family members and friends who helped her prepare for the event.
“The evening just wouldn’t have been possible without them,” Phyllis said. “Thank you all so much.”
