Happy Easter to our Members and Community,
Since March 12th all training and competition was suspended and a month later as we celebrate Easter we find ourselves living in a time we never imagined could happen to us. Normally at this time of year we are busy preparing our Juveniles for the summer’s Track & Field Season and looking forward to the Easter break after a winter of dark cold training nights. Sadly, Covid-19 had other plans for us all and has dramatically changed our physical lives.
It hasn’t however changed our community spirit. As a voluntary run club supported by our local community, dedicated to providing the joy of our sport to you and in particular to the youth of our community, we thank you all. We thank our council services, An Post and Gardaí, our transport network, traders, business and their staff too who continue to support us in providing those essential services we all need and those of you who could diversify to aid our front line in the fight against Covid-19.
We empathize with those of you shutdown alongside us, our appreciation hasn’t wavered and we hope you can return to business as quickly as is possible, returning too, those in our community and our members to their jobs.
To our mentors who’ve guided and inspired us to do what we do, we hope you are all well and safe in your ‘cocoons’, we have yet so much to learn.
To our adult members your innovative and adjusted exercise routines are both inspiring and entertaining, your support of each other embodies the spirit of our club and we thank you.
To our Juveniles, whom we miss dearly we hope you have adjusted to the times we are experiencing and although it feels like forever, it will pass and we look forward to that day we can meet again as a Club. And Parents, we’ve come to know and care about your children and in knowing them we know you are doing a great job but please don’t feel alone, reach out, we are here for you.
And to those of you working ‘in the front line’, those of you who work in various aspects of the medical world and HSE we will never truly know how hard this time is for you. As you go to work, treading anxiously through your day beyond all expectations in demanding and stressful environments we are safe in our homes. We thank you. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts and when this is all over we will cocoon you in appreciation, respect and support as you return bruised from the eye of this storm to your normal lives.
Covid-19 has changed our lives, separated us from loved ones and brought loss to our community and although it isn’t finished yet, it hasn’t, won’t and can’t take our hope or our community spirit and we look forward to the day when we will return to living freely in our community, as a community.
Until then we wish you all a Happy Easter and we hope you enjoy your Easter treats making for yourselves the most fun filled, imaginative, active and hopeful Easter, safely in your homes.
Hope, peace and love to you all,
Ardee & District Athletic Club.