Local musicians ‘make a wish’ come true with charity play-a-thon

TO SHOW appreciation for a generous donation of a musical instrument to a young accordion player, a dedicated group of musicians recently undertook a ten-hour play-a-thon all in the name of charity.

Strabane music teacher Anne-Marie Devine of Up Beat Music Tuition, which specialises in the accordion, banjo, tin whistle and fiddle classes, gathered up a section of her pupils for the play-a-thon after one of their number was honoured by the Make a Wish Foundation.

As Anne-Marie explained, “One of my piano-accordion students from Donegal, a 17-year-old young lady called Leanne, was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in summer of last year, going through vital life-saving treatment.

Despite her illness and the pain it brought, Leanne’s passion and love for music never once wavered.

She expressed a keen wish for a new piano accordion which would satisfy her needs as she went forward in her musical journey.

Leanne’s desire was fulfilled when Make A Wish Ireland, through O’Neill’s Music Shop in Gortin, made her wish come true with a top-of-the-range piano accordion late last year. Leanne’s mum said it was the boost she needed’ as she continues her fight against the disease.”

The play-a-thon took place in February in Maggie’s Tavern in St Johnston where a cohort of 60 musicians, singers and dancers took the stage, contributing to what many described as a ‘very special occasion’ for one of their own.

Anne-Marie continued, “It was a great night and we had various fundraising platforms on the go, including a ‘JustGiving’ page, which raised £2,210 and this was coupled with a further £1,600 raised by the play-a-thon. In addition, Dublin-based charity ‘Benevity’ matched the £1,600.

All in all, the final total which went to Make a Wish was 6,197.48 in euros.

“We would like to take this opportunity thank everyone who came along on the night and donated to this wonderful cause. Every donation counts towards making every wish come true, just like Leanne’s, because for a child with cancer, hope is essential.”