The Society of St Vincent de Paul in Cork raise more than €175,000 from their annual Christmas Draw. Lord Mayor Cllr Dara Murphy pulled the winning ticket from the drum and then phoned the winner of a brand new Toyota Yaris.
The car was won by a family in Midleton, who were delighted by the good news on December 22nd. The draw has been running in the Cork Region for more than 50 years with leaflets being posted to every house in the city and county on the run up to Christmas.
Padraig McCarthy, Regional Administrator for the Cork Region expressed his thanks to all those who supported the draw. "The draw is a tradition for Cork people at this time of year and for many it wouldn't be Christmas without it" said Mr McCarthy.
"The recession has not stopped people from donating money to charity and has in fact made them conscious of how lucky they are" stated Mr McCarthy. The money will go to families who need support over the next few months. Mr McCarthy added that the fund for victims of the flooding of Cork has now exceeded €85,000 with half this still to be handed out. The money will go to those most in need of help.