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28th Mar 2020

The GAA teams up with supermarkets to launch urgent appeal to help the elderly

James Fenton

The GAA has teamed up with SuperValu and Centra to launch a volunteer initiative focused on helping the elderly in these unprecedented times.

‘Club Together’ is an urgent appeal by the GAA, calling on its member clubs across the country to volunteer in assisting the elderly with their shopping needs.

Club members are being asked to join local a task force which will then be partnered with its local SuperValu or Centra store to help deliver shopping to elderly members of the community. Clubs who are interested in participating in the scheme are asked to contact their local SuperValu or Centra to find out more.

Speaking about the initiative, GAA President John Horan said: ““This is a testing time and one when the oft-mentioned virtues of the GAA’s Community ethos needs to come to the fore. This is happening already and through this most worthwhile initiative it will continue to happen, making a positive tangible difference to those in our communities who may need assistance.”

Horan called on clubs across Ireland to get involved by saying: “I am strongly encouraging our clubs and members to look at this initiative and to throw their weight behind it. Our reach across the island is reflected in the SuperValu and Centra networks and I believe working together we can ensure that everyone is connected and has access to the basic essentials we all need at a time like this”

As Tanaiste Simon Coveney says in the below video, “Essentially what this is about is partnering together to ensure that every SuperValu and Centra across the country is linked to every GAA club in their community to provide an army of volunteers to do the shopping for people who can’t shop for themselves and to deliver that shopping to people’s homes”…

Martin Kelleher, Managing Director at SuperValu and Centra, added: “Supporting our communities is one of the most important things we do. We’re delighted to team up with the GAA, a long-term partner of ours, to support the elderly in our communities. We understand this is an extraordinary time for a huge number of people across the country and we encourage every GAA club to contact and partner with their local SuperValu or Centra store this weekend.”

A wonderful idea and it really shows the power of pulling together at this time. Further information on the Club Together initiative and how the elderly can avail of the service will be announced next week.

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