An American couple whose newborn son Nicolas passed away at the Cliffs of Moher in July 2006 have donated 50,000 U.S. Dollars towards the provision and equipping of a medical facility at the world famous tourist attraction.Delia and Kelly Stokes from Phoenix, Arizona today presented a cheque to Katherine Webster, Director of the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience.
142 first aid incidents have been dealt with at “Nicolas’ Room”, a secure access controlled facility, since the Cliffs of Moher visitor centre was opened in February 2007. The majority of cases have involved relatively minor injuries caused by falls or slips - such as bruises, graze, cuts and sprains. Meanwhile, over 1,200 people have used the room’s manually operated wheelchair service. 23 staff at the tourist site, which attracts approximately one million visitors each year, have been trained in occupational first aid with 11 of these having received further Intermediate level training. One member of staff is trained to First Responder level, equivalent to the training received by paramedic staff.
According to Ms. Katherine Webster, “Delia and Kelly should be complimented for the way in which they have honoured their son’s memory and have turned their personal tragedy into a story of hope for so many others. Nicolas’ Room has already made a significant difference to people from all over the world.”
The presentation of the USD50,000 cheque took place during a ceremony in Phoenix marking the 20th anniversary of a successful twinning arrangement between Ennis in County Clare and the Arizona State Capital. Since the formation of the twinning relationship in 1988, civic and community leaders from both sides of the Atlantic have visited each other on exchanges and have developed strong ties and personal friendships. The Phoenix Sister Cities Commission - set up to foster and promote the twinning relationship - has been fully supportive of Delia and Kelly Stokes’ fundraising efforts.
Cllr Tom Glynn, Deputy Mayor of Ennis, stated “Ennis Town Council has established a very strong sister city relationship with Phoenix over the years. We are delighted to have been able to work with our friends in the Phoenix authorities in assisting the efforts of Delia and Kelly, which have helped to strengthen the twinning relationship to the benefit of the people of Phoenix, Ennis and those who visit the Cliffs of Moher.”
