#Daddyandme campaign needs your help supporting bereaved dads this Father's Day
While Father’s Day is a joyous, celebratory occasion, for many it's also a day tinged with sadness as we remember the dads who are no longer with us. While for some dads, it’s a painful reminder of the son or daughter who has died.
Benji Bennett, the author of Adam’s Cloud children’s books, experienced such tragedy when his son Adam died aged just 7 in 2007. Benji is one of the ambassadors of this years’ #Daddyandme campaign run by Anam Cara, a national organisation that supports bereaved parents. This year Anam Cara is asking us all to remember our dads, our grandads, and those dads we may know whose loss we cannot begin to imagine.
This is the second year of the campaign, with Anam Cara CEO Sharon Vard saying the response last year took everyone by surprise: “I think Father’s Day does not get the same attention as Mother’s Day as an occasion. Sadly very often it’s the same for bereaved dads, with people asking them how their wife and child are, not taking into account that they too are devastated after the death of their child.
“Last year this campaign really appealed to the Dads connected to Anam Cara; they posted photos of them with their children, and this gave their friends an opportunity to show their support through lovely comments.”
Benji Bennett agrees. “Like all bereaved dads I welcome every opportunity to remember and celebrate my child. And that’s part of what Anam Cara offers – it gives bereaved parents a space to come together and support each other. But even for the general public, #Daddyandme is a great way to show our dads or our kids that we’re thinking of them.”
As part of the campaign, Anam Cara is asking people to text the word REMEMBER to 50300 to donate €2 to Anam Cara. Last year the organisation raised €2,000 and reached almost 80,000 people. The target this year is to get 100,000 people involved – with the goal to have 500,000 supporters in five years’ time.
How Can You Get Involved?
- Share a picture of you and your Dad – or if you’re a Dad, you and your son or daughter – on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and include the hashtag #Daddyandme.
- Tag and nominate three friends or companies to do the same
- Donate €2 by texting REMEMBER to 50300.
- If you are living in Northern Ireland or outside of Ireland, you can go to www.anamcara.ie or click on this link http://anamcara.ie/donate/ to make the €2 donation.
To speak to someone from Anam Cara, or to order a free pack, call the information line on 085 2888 888 or email info@anamcara.ie. For larger donations visit http://anamcara.ie/donate/.