Published: Wednesday, 18th August, 2010 5:15pm

Rosemount priest set for skydive fundraiser

Rosemount priest Fr Tony Gavin is no fan of heights. Despite this, he will soon be dropped from the sky at an altitude of 13,000 feet.

The local priest is undertaking a charity parachute jump on Sunday, August 29, in an attempt to raise €2,000 for the purchase of a defibrillator.

"I've never done a parachute jump before and I wouldn't be a great man for the heights," he told the Westmeath Independent last week.

"I have climbed to the top of the church and the school when work needed to be done on the roofs there and coming down from that height is not pleasant. You just have to grit your teeth and get on with it."

He stated that the idea for this kind of fundraiser stemmed from two locals who are involved in parachute jumping.

"There are two lads in the parish, Padraig Brown and Karl Wade, who are involved in parachuting and they said to me 'You'll have to come up with us some day, Father'. I said I'd do it if it was for a good cause. This is the cause that we chose."

On the day of the jump he will set off from Clonbullogue airfield, near Edenderry, which is owned and operated by the Irish Parachute Club.

Fr Gavin said fundraising efforts in the Rosemount community had funded the purchase of three defibrillators earlier this year and he is hoping to raise enough money to buy a fourth.

"We're conscious of the fact that we're a rural community and it's a bit of a distance from the nearest hospital if anything happened," he said.

"Nearby parishes, such as Ballymore, Tubber and Horseleap have organised themselves quite well in this regard and we're aiming to follow suit."

The priest added that he wouldn't be limiting his fundraising efforts to Rosemount itself.

"We have a small community of probably about 200 families here and fundraising is difficult because a lot of people are out of work and money is tight at the moment. So I'm aiming to broaden my fundraising outside the parish."

* Fr Gavin stated that he has raised approximately €500 to date, and anyone who might be willing to contribute to his fundraising effort is welcome to contact him at 090 6436110.