by Kate Heaney
THE Milford parish priest who appealed for help to buy a new boiler for St Peter’s Church, got a pleasant surprise on Sunday night when the 50/50 draw organised by Milford United was held.
Locals and club members gathered in the club’s Moyle Park Clubhouse for the draw to be made for the winner.
When Fr Stephen Gorman drew out the winning ticket for the €1,880 prize he was stunned to find his sister Tina’s name on it.
Speaking to the Donegal News yesterday Fr Gorman said he put his hand into the box of tickets and shook them around before drawing out one.
“I handed the ticket to Peter Doherty of the club who smiled and showed me it was my sister Tina’s name on the ticket. I’m delighted for her.
My mother had given me the money to buy a ticket in the 50/50 draw. I suppose you call it the luck of the draw!” he said.
While Tina won the €1,880, the same amount is being donated to the church to help with their fundraising for a new boiler and fitting it.
Fr Gorman expressed his huge gratitude to the club for foregoing their share of the draw money in favour of the church.
The €10,000 fundraising target has been surpassed now between donations and the draw and increased collections so St Peter’s Church should be toasty warm for the winter. Almost €15,000 has now been raised.
“I want to thank club organiser Martin Roddy and all the members for their generosity. The new condensing boiler has now been installed thanks to so many people who helped – the whole parish helped,” he added.
Tina will now get something with her winnings she will really enjoy – a new iPad she can listen to and watch her favourite singer Olly Murs.
Tina is 34, has Down Syndrome and is non-verbal. She is a former pupil of the The Little Angels in Letterkenny.
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