Post by ♣esmie14♣ on Aug 18, 2006 22:37:30 GMT 8
'It's better than being on stage'
By Maria Tracey
Westlife’s Kian Egan may be at ease at belting out the ballads in front of 15,000 screaming fans, however, the Sligo star certainly showed his nerves when he took part in a skydive from 15,000 feet last Wednesday.
Both Kian and his girlfriend, former Hollyoaks actress, Jodi Albert took their parachutes and jumped at the Irish Parachute Club in Clonbullogue, Co Offaly to raise funds for the Strandhill Indonesian Relief Fund (SIRF).
The charity was set up by three Strandhill surfers, student Allan Mulrooney and brothers, Barry and David Mottershead, originally from Cape Town and who have been living in Strandhill for the past three years.
To date over €12,000 has been raised for the fund, which will help rebuild the Indonesian island of Java, following the devastation left behind after two recent natural disasters.
The surfing trio also joined Kian and Jodi on the parachute jump, which served as a platform to promote the charity on a national scale.
“I had been to Indonesia with the band and have seen at first hand the situation there, even before the devastation caused by the earthquake,” said Kian.
“I wanted to do something for the cause and when the parachute jump was mentioned, I thought, ‘excellent, let’s do it’.”
Speaking to The Sligo Champion, Kian added that the jump was a “fantastic feeling” and “even more exhilarating than being on stage”.
“I just wanted to go straight back up there,” he said.
Kian added that Jodi, who had not planned to participate in the skydive until that morning, felt that it was “one of the best things she had ever done in her life”.
Organiser Allan Mulrooney said that the Westlife star had come off the jump looking “wide eyed” and “10 times more ecstatic than when he comes off stage”.
“It was just a crazy experience and honestly the best thing I’ve ever done,” said the 20 year-old.
“When you think that 150 fans turned up and saw Kian signing autographs for almost two hours wearing the SIRF t-shirt along with the publicity from the press on it, it really got the charity’s name out there, which was great.”
Westlife members, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan and Nicky Byrne all sponsored €1,000 each towards the jump, while Kian has also put a similar sum forward.
In addition, the Westlife star has supplied a personalised framed platinum award of their seven albums to date signed by all four Westlife members for the charity.
The disc, which was put on E Bay last week, has made £765 to date and will remain on the website until Sunday.
Coupled with the disc, the surfboard of world championship-winning Mark Richard donated by Matt Britton of Surfers Village, will also go up for auction. It is hoped that these events will help increase awareness of the plight in West Java, after the island was struck by a tsunami three weeks ago, just two months after an earthquake devastated the area. Barry, Allan and David will travel out to Java in next week to provide locals with the items they need to help rebuild their livelihoods.
More information on the charity is available at www.sirf.org.
Credit/Source: www.unison.ie/sligo_champion
www.westlife.gr
By Maria Tracey
Westlife’s Kian Egan may be at ease at belting out the ballads in front of 15,000 screaming fans, however, the Sligo star certainly showed his nerves when he took part in a skydive from 15,000 feet last Wednesday.
Both Kian and his girlfriend, former Hollyoaks actress, Jodi Albert took their parachutes and jumped at the Irish Parachute Club in Clonbullogue, Co Offaly to raise funds for the Strandhill Indonesian Relief Fund (SIRF).
The charity was set up by three Strandhill surfers, student Allan Mulrooney and brothers, Barry and David Mottershead, originally from Cape Town and who have been living in Strandhill for the past three years.
To date over €12,000 has been raised for the fund, which will help rebuild the Indonesian island of Java, following the devastation left behind after two recent natural disasters.
The surfing trio also joined Kian and Jodi on the parachute jump, which served as a platform to promote the charity on a national scale.
“I had been to Indonesia with the band and have seen at first hand the situation there, even before the devastation caused by the earthquake,” said Kian.
“I wanted to do something for the cause and when the parachute jump was mentioned, I thought, ‘excellent, let’s do it’.”
Speaking to The Sligo Champion, Kian added that the jump was a “fantastic feeling” and “even more exhilarating than being on stage”.
“I just wanted to go straight back up there,” he said.
Kian added that Jodi, who had not planned to participate in the skydive until that morning, felt that it was “one of the best things she had ever done in her life”.
Organiser Allan Mulrooney said that the Westlife star had come off the jump looking “wide eyed” and “10 times more ecstatic than when he comes off stage”.
“It was just a crazy experience and honestly the best thing I’ve ever done,” said the 20 year-old.
“When you think that 150 fans turned up and saw Kian signing autographs for almost two hours wearing the SIRF t-shirt along with the publicity from the press on it, it really got the charity’s name out there, which was great.”
Westlife members, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan and Nicky Byrne all sponsored €1,000 each towards the jump, while Kian has also put a similar sum forward.
In addition, the Westlife star has supplied a personalised framed platinum award of their seven albums to date signed by all four Westlife members for the charity.
The disc, which was put on E Bay last week, has made £765 to date and will remain on the website until Sunday.
Coupled with the disc, the surfboard of world championship-winning Mark Richard donated by Matt Britton of Surfers Village, will also go up for auction. It is hoped that these events will help increase awareness of the plight in West Java, after the island was struck by a tsunami three weeks ago, just two months after an earthquake devastated the area. Barry, Allan and David will travel out to Java in next week to provide locals with the items they need to help rebuild their livelihoods.
More information on the charity is available at www.sirf.org.
Credit/Source: www.unison.ie/sligo_champion
www.westlife.gr