All the stops have been pulled out by friends of a young Armagh man who passed away earlier this year to put on a special charity quiz on what would have been his 30th birthday.
The event has been organised in memory of James Gribben, who tragically passed away as a result of a swimming accident in the Dominican Republic, in March of this year.
James’ untimely death left his family and friends devastated but with the help of Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust his body was returned home to them for burial.
And now, a cohort of his closest friends have organised a fundraising event to give back to the charity for have provided such invaluable support during one of the most heart-breaking times of their lives.
Speaking to Armagh I, Jake explained: “The Kevin Bell Trust (KBRT) have touched everyone in our community. Everyone has either lost a loved one and had to call on them, or knows a family who has. What they do is truly amazing, which is why it’s so important to us that we give back, so that the next grieving family can avail of their good work.
“There’s a group of us (myself, Michael McGlinchey, Rhys Dynes, Gareth Smyth, Ethan Moore, Thomas Casey, Jody McGleenan and Caolan Toal) who have all been mates from our school days and we’re all still best friends today.
“Since July we’ve all been turning 30, so we thought we would mark what would have been James’ 30th birthday with a big fundraiser for KBRT.”
The event will be held on November 15 at the Pease Og’s Club in Armagh.
Jake confirmed that TV and radio presenter – and Dromintee man – Connor Phillips has agreed to host the event, explaining that he was familiar with the charity and had read about James’ story when it happened. Jake said Connor also “believed it was within the GAA ethos to help families like James’ when we can, owing to James’ being a huge fan of the sport”.
Said Jake: “The quiz itself will kick off from 8pm, however, the doors will be open from 6:30pm to allow people to get their team registered (if they haven’t already), get settled in and grab a bite to eat from ‘Our T’s’ food van… who will be moving the van down to the Og’s club to help support us.
“Our T’s have also very kindly offered to donate a percentage of their takings from the day to KBRT. The more people buy food, the more money goes to charity!
“With the quiz, there will be six rounds, with ten questions in each round, that’ll cover a wide range of trivia, with the winning team bagging £500 cash.
“After the quiz, we will also be hosting a raffle, with plenty of prizes that have been donated by local businesses in Armagh, including two VIP tickets to “An Experience with Mike Tyson” in Dublin on December 4, a 65” TV, a voucher for the Galgorm, a £150 voucher for the Parkland Restaurant in Armagh, a signed Armagh jersey and more to be confirmed.
“Raffle tickets will be available for purchase on the night itself, or in the weeks beforehand from myself and the rest of James’ friends and family for those that are unable to attend. Once the raffle has concluded, we’ve arranged for a DJ to come along keep the party going into the wee hours.”
Remembering an unforgettable friend in James, Jake said: “James was definitely the funny one in the group. Even when he wasn’t trying to be funny, he could have you in stitches. Just naturally gifted.
“He was also an incredibly kind person. And that’s something that was reflected in the lovely tributes we read. He was a gentleman through-and-through. When he asked how you were, it was because he was genuinely interested to know.
“He also had a questionable taste when it came to fashion. I do believe he had Armagh’s largest collection of hideous shirts! So, me and the rest of the lads have agreed that we’re all going to arrive at the fundraiser wearing the most eccentric shirt we can find as a tribute to him. We know he’d love that.”
More information on the quiz night can be found via a Facebook event page here.
