Customers will be invited to donate €2 at the till which will go directly to the Irish Heart Foundation

TV presenter and fashion designer Brendan Courtney is supporting Dunnes Stores to raise €150,000 for the Irish Heart Foundation this Valentine’s weekend.

Dunnes Stores has launched a new four-day campaign to help the Irish Heart Foundation raise vital funds as traditional fundraising efforts have been badly affected by the pandemic.

From Thursday to Sunday this week (11th to the 14th of February), Dunnes Stores customers across Ireland will be invited to add an extra €2 to their shopping bills – donations which will go straight to the Irish Heart Foundation.

Mr Courtney offered his support four years after the death of his father, Frank, following a stroke.

In 2017, he took part in a documentary, ‘We need to talk about Dad’, examining the difficulty of organising care for his father, who was unable to look after himself.

“This is a cause I’m very proud to be associated with, especially given my personal experience with stroke in my family,” said Brendan.

“Stroke prevention and support are key parts of the Irish Heart Foundation’s strategy and if people get behind this campaign and donate €2 at the tills, they will be making an enormous, collective contribution to that vital work.”

Tim Collins, CEO of the Irish Heart Foundation, said the charity is delighted to have the support of Dunnes Stores as part of its ‘Show Some Heart’ campaign.

“Every year, thousands of people in Ireland are diagnosed with a heart condition or affected by stroke. We want to be there to help and support everyone, but Covid-19 has had a significant impact on our fundraising income,” he said.

“We hope the public will support our campaign by shopping in Dunnes Stores and making a donation at the till.”

The fundraising drive begins on Thursday the 11^th of February and will run until close of business at Dunnes Stores outlets on Valentine’s Day.

If you miss the chance to donate in person at Dunnes Stores, you can also donate online here.

Find out more about the Irish Heart Foundation’s ‘Show Some Heart’ Campaign here.