February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Donoghue, manager of the Pig n’ Whistle on Times Square, and a Marathon veteran, was one of 13 runners in the event raising funds by the mile for Concern Worldwide, the Irish international aid agency.
This year’s beneficiary of what has become an annual outing for Concern volunteers will be the working children of Quetta in Pakistan, half a world and so much more than that away from New York City.
Many of the kids on Quetta’s streets are refugees from Afghanistan.
The 2009 version of Concern’s “Marathon Madness” fundraiser was another smashing success bringing in a total sum of $30,000,” said Concern in a statement.
“People are getting to know Concern,” said Donoghue, manager of the Pig n’ Whistle on Times Square, and a Marathon Madness veteran who finished the five borough course in an impressive 2 hours and 44 minutes.
Without the chance to go to school or receive proper medical care, the children of Quetta have few places to run for assistance, said Concern.
“To meet their needs, Concern has opened several drop-in centers in Quetta where youngsters go to get food, wash up, rest, receive basic literacy and math classes and enjoy recreation. Some 3,000 children are taking advantage of the centers with a further 7,000 yet to be reached,” the statement added.
Concern thanksed all its runners in the New York marthon: Hillary Alberts, Allison Castaldi, Paul Columb, David DelConte, Brendan Donoghue, Noel Donovan, Rosemary Dooley, Paul Gallen, Glyn Galvin, Natasha Kho, Doug Mercado, Megan Slattery and Lyndsey Thor.
“Special thanks also to Pat Burke and all the staff at the Pig n’ Whistle for their generous hospitality during the after-race celebrations,” the aid agency added.