#RNLI - Organisers of the Athlone River Festival and Food Village have presented a cheque for €850 to Lough Ree RNLI.

The Athlone River Festival & Food Village took place on 12-13 September and included myriad activities showcasing Athlone’s culinary, entertainment and leisure amenities.

The event was a huge success, with over 4,000 people attending the revival of the festival, last held 20 years ago.

Lough Ree RNLI and Athlone SubAqua took part in the event with a river rescue demonstration, and Lough Ree volunteer crew members also built a raft, which they entered in the raft race.

The ‘Oysters, Guinness & Jazz’ installation, sponsored by John O’Sullivan (Hodson Bay Group) and Alan McCabe (Guinness), set a celebratory tone for the event and raised €850 for the lifeboat, which they presented to the crew at the quay wall beside Sean’s Bar on 6 October.

Lough Ree RNLI relies entirely on charitable donations to meet its running costs. Damien Delaney, Lough Ree RNLI lifeboat operations manager, said: "It’s good supporters like John, Alan and the local community that enable the lifeboat crews to respond to calls when they are needed, and we are grateful for their generous support."

Lough Ree RNLI is also holding a Halloween Party and Open Day on Saturday 31 October from 12 noon to 3.30pm. Wear your costume and join the lifeboat crew for some Halloween fun and games for all at Coosan Point.

For more visit the Lough Ree RNLI Facebook page HERE.