daa raises €500,000 for three Charities of The Year, making a lasting impact

daa, the operator of Dublin and Cork airports, has presented cheques totalling €500,000 to three deserving Irish charities: A Little Lifetime Foundation, Cliona’s Foundation, and Cork Penny Dinners. This follows a year of dedicated fundraising activities across Dublin and Cork airports by passengers and daa employees.

Each charity received a cheque worth €166,666 having been selected by daa employees as part of the company’s Charities of the Year programme for 2024. €250,000 was raised through fundraising efforts by daa employees and passengers, with daa matching that figure under its new Charity Programme initiative. Previously, daa added €80,000 to the total raised by passengers and employees, so the new approach is a significant uplift.

A Little Lifetime Foundation is based in Dublin and supports the families of bereaved parents. Cliona’s Foundation is based in Limerick and provides financial assistance to families with seriously sick children. Cork Penny Dinners provides food, clothing and other supports to those who are struggling or homeless.

Every year, daa employees vote for three different charities as part of the Charities of The Year Programme. The Charities of The Year 2025 will be announced soon.

According to Kenny Jacobs, CEO of daa: “The incredible efforts of our passengers and employees show the impact we can make when we come together as a team. I’m really proud to be part of an organisation where the people see value in helping others and are so generous with their time. Thanks too to all our passengers whose contributions make a big difference.”

Vincent Phelan, Chairperson, A Little Lifetime Foundation, said: “We were absolutely blown away by the amount of money raised through the daa charity programme. It is such an amazing donation to receive. This money will be used in part to fund additional bereavement and therapy training for our volunteers, so they can help bereaved parents when they need our services.”

Charlotte Kavanagh, Head of Communications and Fundraising, Cliona’s Foundation, said: “This contribution will help us make a huge difference to the families who we know are struggling and need our support. While unfortunately we cannot take away a diagnosis, this will go some way towards providing support for people when they most need it and will make a real difference. I want to say a massive thanks to everyone in daa.”

Caitríona Twomey, trustee, Cork Penny Dinners, outlined: “The money we received today will be used to provide basic but essential supplies for our service users. It was a magical day, and the amount raised was beyond our wildest dreams. We cannot express our thanks enough to everyone who played a part in the fundraising activities throughout the year. This means so much.”

daa’s Charity of the Year Programme is an annual initiative that supports selected Irish charities through employee led activities and corporate donations. Each year, daa employees nominate and vote for charities to benefit from a 12-month fundraising campaign. daa will now match their fundraising efforts to raise vital funds for our nominated charity partners. The programme includes various fundraising events across Dublin and Cork airports, with all proceeds going directly to the charities. Since it was launched in 2007, the initiative has raised almost €4.2 million, helping a wide range of causes, including health, social services and community support.

Pictured at the daa charity cheque handover are (L-R) Miriam Ryan, daa;  Charlotte Kavanagh, Cliona’s Foundation; Caitríona Twomey, Cork Penny Dinners; Vincent Phelan, A Little Lifetime Foundation; Kenny Jacobs, daa; and Paula Cogan, daa.