Seamus Coleman has made a €20,000 donation to Feed the Heroes, the support group helping to feed frontline workers in the battle to save lives from covid-19.
More than 7,000 people have donated a total in excess of €300,000 to the campaign, which provides food for doctors, nurses and other frontline staff working around the clock during the crisis.
Coleman posted a video message urging others to donate to the cause as the number of confirmed cases in Ireland surged above 900 in the Republic, with four fatalities to date.
“I got a message earlier on this evening from Keith Andrews to make me aware of a GoFundMe page for Feed the Heroes,” Coleman said in a video message posted online.
“Feed the Heroes is all our frontline staff who are being so brave at the moment helping all the sick people due to this horrible disease, Covid-19.
“I know it’s a tough time at this minute, but we will get through this, stay positive and keep fighting.
“If anyone can make any donations towards the page, it would be great, small or large, to feed our heroes who are putting themselves on the frontline.
“I’m going to make a donation myself and I am so proud of all our frontline workers and I want to say thank you on behalf of myself, my family and everyone in Ireland.”
The campaign, set up by Cian O’Flaherty and Tad McAllister, posted the following message on Sunday night:
“In one week we have dropped over 4000 meals to frontline workers in hospitals, ambulance centres, fire depots, garda stations, contact tracing centres nationwide. There is a lot more to come next week.
“We have been utterly blown away by the response of the public, and the trust and responsibility they are giving us to support the family, friends and loved ones they have on the front line. We have ramped up an operation and now have networks across the country.
“Our partners are dropping planned meals in coordination with frontline staff where it’s needed. This has been greeted with an incredibly powerful sense of solidarity. You have had an impact.
“You have helped us to become an incredibly important part of the national response to Covid-19. That was not what we thought we might do at the start but we’re here now and we will step up and make sure your donations go where they can have an impact.
“We see you all want to let those on the front line know that we appreciate them, we see them and we stand (albeit socially distant) in solidarity with them all.”
