THE family of a Limerick man who died tragically while on holiday have raised almost €10,000 for the charity that brought him home.
The Hogan family pulled on their running shoes to take part in the Cook Mini Marathon in October and raised €9,335 for the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust (KBRT), an organisation that helps with the costs faced by bereaved families in repatriating the body of a loved one who has died abroad in sudden or tragic circumstances.
Having set up a GoFundMe campaign, the family set a modest target and raised almost 10 times the amount, thanks to the generosity of donors.
Amanda Hogan told the Limerick Post that April 13 this year was “the worst day of my life.”
It was the day she learned that her 28-year-old son, and dad to an eight-year-old daughter, Kevin had passed away in his sleep while on holiday in Portugal.
Amanda says the Caherdavin family, who are still awaiting the results of a post-mortem, were “absolutely lost. We didn’t know who to contact or what to do.”
A friend told the family about the KBRT, which was founded out of a family tragedy when Kevin Bell died suddenly in New York in June 2013.
“From the first phone call, they were fantastic. The only thing they needed to know was his name and they took it from there. I’ll never forget what they did for us at a terrible time,” Amanda said.
Other organisations rolled in behind the effort too. The Caherdavin boys school held a jersey day, while local hurling and football clubs that Kevin Hogan played with also organised fundraisers.
“They have done so much for us and for so many other families, we really want to raise awareness about them and encourage people to support them,” said Amanda.
The Hogans presented a cheque for the amount to the founder of the Kevin Bell fund, the late Kevin’s father, Colin Bell.
