The Olive Branch for Children
TOBFC Team Ran the Galway Bay Marathon for Our Education Programs
October 11, 2025 in Galway, Ireland
A huge thank you to everyone who supported The Olive Branch for Children (TOBFC) Ireland team’s successful run at the Galway Bay Marathon on Saturday, October 11, 2025. Together, we exceeded our global fundraising goal of €5,000 or C$8,000!
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​Everyone trained really hard to support TOBFC education programs and that hard work paid off on the racecourse. Our Founder and CEO Deborah McCracken-Nangereke and her husband Putiyei Nangereke successfully completed the full 42 kilometre run, even after having completed a half marathon on October 4th in Fanore! It was great to have Jack O’Meara join us to run the 10K as part of our team.
Some of the team could no longer participate at Galway Bay after the date was changed from October 4th to October 11th because of Storm Amy. We know they were disappointed, and we are grateful for their training and dedication.
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We also want to recognize the team from Portwest that ran to support TOBFC education programs. Portwest is a valued TOBFC Ireland partner and sponsor of our Montessori Kindergartens program. Watch for more news in the coming weeks from Portwest about further support for TOBFC.
We are excited to announce that donations supporting the run from Canada and Ireland together raised €3,844, and the Portwest team raised another €1,240, for a grand total of €5,084 or C$8,270.
Funds raised for the "Make Their First Step In Education Their Best Step!" campaign will support TOBFC education programs in Tanzania. These programs help vulnerable children attend our Montessori Kindergartens and other schools, access our KICKIT mobile libraries, and receive educational resources such as school uniforms and textbooks. This not only lays the foundation for academic success but also supports broader community development, health, and economic resilience.
Thank you to everyone who donated from Canada and Ireland and helped us mark the 5th anniversary of TOBFC Ireland. Together, you helped us exceed our global fundraising goal of €5,000 or C$8,000 and turn miles into hope for students on their educational journey.
