Letterkenny hosts first Croí Night Run to support heart and stroke families

The inaugural Croí Night Run took place in Letterkenny on Friday 9 October, raising funds for the Croí Heart and Stroke Charity.

The walk and run began at 7 pm from O’Donnell Park and was organised by local volunteer Kelly O’Dowd, whose family benefitted from Croí’s services after her father suffered three strokes and required emergency surgery at Galway University Hospital.

Charity support and local impact

O’Dowd highlighted that Croí provides three short‑stay apartments within a ten‑minute walk of the Galway hospital, offering families a place to stay without demanding payment beyond a voluntary donation. She noted that 54 % of the charity’s apartment occupancy last year was by families from Donegal, reflecting the region’s distance from the hospital.

In addition to accommodation, Croí supplied ongoing specialist nursing support to O’Dowd’s father after his return to Donegal, giving the family peace of mind.

The Letterkenny event is one of nine Croí Night Runs or walks scheduled across the country on the same day. Participants could register by scanning a QR code or visiting croinightrun.ie.

Source: Donegal Daily. Photo: VANNGO Ng / Pexels.