Ballinalack business to launch Christmas appeal

A Ballinalack-based health and wellness business is teaming up with a number of local organisations to make Christmas a brighter one for children who are enduring difficult times in their young lives.

The ‘Christmas Giving Tree’ initiative launches at the Hydrate Alkaline Water and Wellness Store in Ballinalack on Saturday November 19.

The Hydrate store, the first of its kind in Ireland, sells ionised water-producing systems and other tools for healthy living, and is the brainchild of Colin and Adeline Galligan, who have over 20 years’ experience in the water filtration industry.

Referring to the ‘Christmas Giving Tree’ initiative, Colin said: “This is a kind of project that, on a personal level, I have been involved with before at Tesco Shopping Centre.

“When we opened the store here during lockdown in 2020, it’s something we hoped to revive, but we’re only getting a chance to do it this Christmas.”

The Giving Tree will be on display at the Hydrate store from its launch until Friday December 16.

The tree is decorated with cards featuring the first names and ages of local children who, for various reasons, are going through a tough and uncertain time in their lives – for example, some of the children may be from a broken home.

“The idea is that you take a card from the tree, go and buy a gift for the child, and then bring it back to us here at the store,” Colin explained.

“Then by December 16, we will bunch them all together and bring the gifts to the relevant places where they will then be distributed to the children.”

Colin said that he has been working closely with a number of local organisations to ensure that the initiative is a success, but he is counting on the public’s support.

The campaign begins at Hydrate Alkaline Water and Wellness Store on Saturday November 19 at 12 noon, when the Giving Tree will be unveiled. All are welcome.