Supporting the Weekly Draw

Mother and daughter Bridgie Conway and Frances Molloy have been supporting the Galway Hospice Weekly Draw since the 1980s.

The Weekly Draw has been a crucial source of support for Galway Hospice since 1988. Bridgie Conway has been involved with the Draw from the very start. She was one of the first promoters of the Draw, signing up participants and collecting draw entries for Galway Hospice. Her daughter, Frances Molloy, was one of her recruits and she went on to become a promoter for the Draw herself.

Bridgie’s husband, Jimmy, passed away after being unwell for six months. He spent Christmas 1984 in hospital and he came home in January. Bridgie cared for him at home for a month and he passed away in February 1985.

A few years later, when the idea of the hospice came up, it naturally struck a chord with the Conways. The idea of homecare in particular appealed to them. Bridgie, who had a young family, had looked after her husband at home with no medical support. She wanted to help other families who might find themselves in similar circumstances.

In 1988, Mary Mullins was the Homecare Manager in the Hospice and she was looking for people to join the draw to fund hospice care in Galway. It was through Mary that Bridgie first got involved.

Bridgie duly became a promoter for the Galway Hospice Draw. Frances remembers her mother coming home to her daughters, the eldest of whom was in her early twenties at the time and saying ‘If ye can go out in the town on a Saturday night, ye can do this!’ All of their friends and anyone who called to the house were signed up to the Draw.

Bridgie was committed to the cause and she did great work for the hospice. When Bingo started up in the Turloughmore Centre, Bridgie saw the opportunity to sign up more members to the Draw.

The family have never had a win themselves but the people they have signed up to the Draw have had quite a bit of luck over the years.

Most of Bridgie’s early recruits to the Draw are still playing today. She continues to collect money for the draw at the local Bingo. People pay weekly, monthly or however suits them and Bridgie keeps her records in a little notebook. Collecting money from people has never been a hassle and Frances helps her out with it now.

The people, most of them Galway women, who went around canvassing in the late 1980s for the Draw did mighty work and even before there was a Hospice building in Galway. The Weekly Draw remains a vital source of support for Galway Hospice today. Many companies facilitate draw membership through payroll; vouchers for a year’s membership for the draw are available through the hospice and, of course, our Draw Promoters continue that great work in support of Galway Hospice.

For just €1.27 per week, you can be with a chance of winning €1,000 or €100 in the Galway Hospice Weekly Draw! To sign up, join online, phone us on 091 770868 or email fundraising@galwayhospice.ie