Countdown to Gaelforce North on June 23rd!

It’s another Bank Holiday Monday and  I’m sneaking some work in ahead of a week on the road.  Galway, Sligo, Belfast ahead this week as we extend the Media Box net further.

This week I started my training for Gaelforce North which takes place on 23rd June. It’s an adventure triathlon comprising a 10km run, 14km cycle, 2km mountain run (half way up Mt Errigal), 1km kayak across Dunlewy Lake and ending with a 15km cycle. Phew I’m tired just typing that.

But we are in good hands. The idea of getting Letterkenny fit originated with Steven Perry a shrewd marketing head. We are being trained by Nigel Drein and his colleague Sammy Bogan from Motiv8 Fitness in Letterkenny.

Their aim is to get Letterkenny fit and have enroled myself and nine other well known business people to motivate others into action.

For more details log onto Motiv8LK on facebook and come along and join us. Steven is keeping a diary of our training sessions! Here’s the full news story from Donegaldaily.com.

So while the rest of you enjoy your bank holiday Monday I’m going to clock up a few miles in the rain.

P.S. Won’t be running in heels – I’ve ditched them in favour of something more appropriate.

Have a good week!

JSB (for the Media Box Team).

Nuala Carey, RTE Weather & Lotto Presenter

In this month’s edition of On the Record, we talk to Nuala Carey, RTÉ Weather Forecaster.

What does your average working day involve ?

My average day ‘Weather Presenting’ starts before 9am. Its a busy morning with four RTE ONE broadcasts under my belt by 1.20pm. Each of those bulletins are of differing lengths, so new information is added all the time. After lunch, its a switch from concentrating on the Weather in Ireland, to the ‘ European’ and ‘ World’ picture. That involves research, and the gathering of e.g. skiing information ( in the Winter), and any World Weather Events.

What is your preferred media source?

The media source I use really depends on the time of day. First thing in morning, its the radio in the kitchen and car. Once I get into work, I log on to RTE.ie, ( News) so thats always available at a glance, and of course all Weather forecasts directly follow News bulletins, so I watch them. So I can’t say I have a preferred source – its more a case of whats the easiest for me at a certain point in the day.  On my days off I listen to the radio and read a national Newspaper and always watch the 9pm news.

Do you tend to follow trends?

My guilty pleasure is following Entertainment !!

What has been the highlight of your career to date ?

There have been a few …being the first ever non – Meterologist to present a Weather Forecast on RTE ONE television in 1999, and being the first person to present a Weather Forecast in the new Millenium. I love to think that I have been present in peoples sitting – rooms when they have just realised that they have the winning 6 Lotto numbers I have just announced, and changed their lives.

However, above all, what stands out for me was the support, encouragement and good – will the Irish public showed to me when I sang for the ‘ Alzheimer Society’ on ‘ Charity You’re a Star’ in 2007.  Their voting for me raised 42,000 for a cause close to my heart.

Which social networking sites do you most use ?

I use ‘Facebook’ to keep in touch with friends living abroad. I don’t have a ‘Twitter’ account. I really don’t think my life is that interesting that people would want to ‘follow’ me and anyway I don’t believe alot of the information posted by people on it !!

How do you unwind?

I love walking and try to cover about 4 miles a day. I’m lucky enough to live very near the sea, so a bracing walking by the beach is my ideal way to unwind. I also love watching TV too – Madmen is one of my favourites. During the Winter, going to the cinema is always a nice way to spend the evening, and when I can I love getting ‘lost’ in a good book.

To celebrate Ireland’s first 1k retro run (running backwards), here at Media Box we decided to get into the spirit of all things ‘retro’ by doing a day’s work backwards! View our video here: A Backwards Day at Media Box

Watch Erin arrive to make her morning cup of tea backwards, Evelyn tidy her desk backwards, Corinne organise her stationary backwards, and most impressive of all, Joanne talking backwards!

Go retro and join Ireland’s first 1k retro run, which is being organised by Smartsearch.ie on 10th June 2012 in Eyre Square Galway, to raise funds for Western Alzheimers. Find out more here http://bit.ly/JqvWnW

Find out more about multi-media agency Media Box, our team and the creative work we do every day at www.mediabox.ie.

Kavanagh’s SuperValu Mayo Target €30,000!

An innovative campaign called “Help us to Help Others” developed by Kavanagh’s SuperValu will see members of staff from their four Mayo stores pushing themselves to limits for Mayo Roscommon Hospice.

Each time a customer swipes their Real Rewards card the Kavanagh Group will make a donation to Mayo Roscommon Hospice from now until October 2012.

Simultaneously, staff in their four stores – Castlebar, Claremorris, Kiltimagh and O Connor’s of Westport – will undertake a series of novel fundraising events engaging their customers and communities along the way in their quest to raise €30,000 for Mayo Roscommon Hospice.

Noel Kavanagh, Managing Director of the Kavanagh Group says, “We have chosen Mayo Roscommon Hospice as our charity partner in Mayo for 2012. We are well placed to connect with members of the local community to maximise our fundraising potential and promote the work of the charity. We feel very strongly that Mayo Roscommon Hospice should be supported given their vital work in palliative care, community care, education, research and family support. They are also hoping to build a new residential unit which would be of significant value to the region.”

The Kavanagh Group owns and operates 11 SuperValu stores across the western seaboard and is a family-run business with headquarters in Westport, Co. Mayo.

Manager of Kavanagh’s SuperValu Castlebar, John Page says, “we are hoping to raise €30,000 from a series of novel fundraising events and also from our real rewards card which means that our customers also contribute to Mayo Roscommon Hospice.”

Noel Cunningham of TV3 is the “Help us to Help Others” campaign ambassador for 2012 and will be involved in a series of fundraising efforts from now until October.

Cynthia Clampett, CEO of Mayo Roscommon Hospice congratulated the Kavanagh Group and noted the timeliness of the campaign given the 20th anniversary of the charity. She says, “we are delighted to part of this campaign on this very special year for us. Kavanagh’s SuperValu Mayo are a socially conscious company who reinvest into their community. Without the support of such businesses our work could not continue at this level. We value the fundraising efforts of each staff member and acknowledge the contribution by Kavangh’s SuperValu customers. It is a wonderful campaign.”

For more information see Kavanagh’s SuperValu Help Us to Help Others on Facebook.