S.O.S. day 2014

 Today is S.O.S. day the RNLI's official fundraising day.
 Rebe, Benny and Joa are huge fans of the lifeboat and have been ever since we moved to Courtmacsherry. Rebe and Benny are both members of Stormforce, the junior RNLI supporters club, through which they receive a quarterly magazine. It was through the magazine that we first heard about S.O.S. day and 2 years ago made and sold biscuits in the village to raise money to support the RNLI (that post is here). This year we did things a little bigger and organised a fundraising event at the children's school.
It was great fun and a huge success.

Several member of the Courtmacsherry Lifeboat crew came down to talk to the kids.

 They brought with them some of their gear (demonstrated here by my fabulous and gorgeous Garry)

 and explained how it all worked.

 They showed us how the life jackets inflate (making Garry look like a penguin according to one of the pupils)

 and they set off a flare and told us lots of information about being a crew member, the lifeboat and rescues. 

Then the kids had a chance to try on the gear...

Benny wearing full lifeboat gear

Some of the older kids had a race, getting fully dressed...

 and running all the way around the school.

While the kids were waiting their turn to try on the gear Rebe and Benny set up the other 2 games we had organised:

Life-ring hoola hoop:

and Wellie throwing:

Once everyone had a chance to try everything (and run about wildly with an RNLI helmet on) we shared the cake that the kids and I had baked for the occasion.

After we thanked the crew for their time and their very generous gifts of pencils and key rings for the kids, we decorated a big card to say 'Thank you' to all of the crew of the Courtmacsherry Lifeboat for everything that they do.

 Each child in the school had the chance to stick some coloured paper onto the drawing of the lifeboat,

 and sign their name to it.

 We don't know how much we managed to raise yet, we'll be collecting the funds and the card (that is currently drying) from the school and bringing them to the station on Monday. Over all it was a brilliant morning, enjoyed by everyone :-)
And the S.O.S. fun doesn't end here, this evening Garry has organised a table quiz in aid of the RNLI at his work which I and some friends are going along to (I hope there are questions about Downton Abbey and knitting...I might get a bit stuck otherwise!)