Air Ambulance receives £65,000 in memory of local man

THE family of Barry McQuaid from Dromore, whose life was tragically cut short in a work accident two years ago, presented a cheque for £65,000 to the Air Ambulance NI Charity following a fundraising event in his memory held last November.

‘A Night for Barry’ in Mahon’s Hotel, Irvinestown raised a staggering £95,000.

The remaining £30,000 has been donated to the local primary school attended by his children.

Mr McQuaid’s wife Edel hailed the “incredible generosity” of those who contributed and said the money raised far surpassed anything the family had imagined.

Speaking to the UlsterHerald, she said, “We feel so grateful that Barry received the very best care the day of his accident from both the road crew and the expert medical team from the air ambulance.

“It’s such a vital service here in NI, especially for rural communities like ours.

“It surprisingly relies on charitable donations, so for us to be able to make this donation to them in Barry’s memory, especially on the day of his birthday was so special and certainly something we will never forget”.

At the special night in memory of her husband, the couple’s children Tess (8), Tommy (5) and Sadie (2) were brought onto the stage to burst the spot prize balloon.

There was also an auction, live music and a disco. Edel said the aim was to remember her husband in a positive way rather than in tragic circumstances.

Reflecting on the poignant night, she said, “We would like to thank everyone again for their generosity and support in making Barry’s night the success it was, it went beyond anything we could have ever imagined”.

Responding to the donation, Damien McAnespie, Air Ambulance area fundraising manager said, “The entire team at Air Ambulance NI are absolutely overwhelmed by the donation we have received from the McQuaid family after the tragic death of Barry two years ago.

“The night held in memory of Barry reflects the very high regard the whole community had for him and we can’t thank them enough for their fund-raising efforts.

“At a daily operational cost of £5,500 for our service and with our medical team responding to one or two serious trauma incidents every day, this amazing donation will have a huge impact in saving many lives, limbs or brains across Northern Ireland.”