November 7 is to be a very special, but difficult day in the Bullock household in Donaghmore as parents Mary and Marty celebrate what would have been their daughter Lauren Bullock’s 21st birthday.
On St. Patrick’s Day 2019, Lauren tragically died as a result of a crush at Greenvale Hotel, Cookstown alongside fellow teenagers, Morgan Barnard (17) and Connor Currie (16) as they waited to gain entry to the venue’s St. Patrick’s Day party.
Now, more than three years after her untimely passing, a non-profit agency Lauren’s Legacy has been set up in her name. Lauren’s mother describes her as, “a very special young lady, always keen to help others, especially children. Lauren planned to further this desire to help others into a career and had decided to study towards becoming a social worker”.
The benevolent Lauren’s Legacy, initiated by her loving family, has been developed to help “fulfil some of her ambitions and keep her dreams alive” all the while providing much needed funds to charitable causes that were close to her heart.
To celebrate Lauren’s milestone birthday, the family have planned a sponsored walk on Sunday November 6, 2022, leaving from The Torrent Complex, Donaghmore at 12 noon, with registration for the event opening at 11am.
A fun-packed day for all has been organised with hot food, balloon-modelling, face painting, raffle prizes, music from MC Malachi Cush and much more.
The family have even gone so far as to design a bespoke T-shirt in commemoration of Lauren’s birthday which can be pre-ordered in a variety of sizes through Begley’s Sports. The T-shirts have been based on Lauren’s own artwork and were brought to creation by Artworks Brian Donaghy and Comac Design with O’Neills Sportswear responsible for the manufacture.
The front view of Lauren’s Legacy T-shirt design available for pre-order from Begley’s Sports.
In the interest of inclusivity, the walk is accessible to all, including pushchairs, and is approximately 1.6 km long making it an ideal distance for young and old alike, with the promise of refreshments at the finish line to help spur participants along!
Over the past three years Lauren’s Legacy has already raised thousands of pounds for many worthwhile causes. The charitable beneficiaries so far include Children in Crossfire, Angel Wishes, Kindness of Strangers, SIMON community, Sperrinview Special School, GAA For All, and Torrent Buddies.
Registration for the event can be completed on the morning or via email on laurenslegacy21@gmail.com.
