AUGUST 2025 Winner – John Wade awarded Community Spirit Award Winner
John Wade has been named the August recipient of The Cork International Hotel Community Spirit Award, presented in association with The Carrigdhoun Newspaper. The award recognises individuals who make an exceptional and lasting contribution to their communities, and few embody this spirit more fully than John Wade through his lifelong commitment to fundraising, volunteering and community care.
John is best known as the founder and driving force behind the Walk for Life fundraising initiative, which has become a cherished annual event for generations of participants. In June 2025, the initiative marked a remarkable milestone, celebrating 30 years of continuous fundraising and community involvement. Over those three decades, Walk for Life has raised in excess of €600,000 for a wide range of local, national and international charities, benefiting countless individuals and families.
The first Walk for Life took place in 1995, beginning in Youghal and finishing in Cork City. From the outset, the walk attracted strong community support, with participants united by a shared desire to give back while enjoying the sense of achievement that comes from collective effort.
As the years progressed, the event route was reimagined a number of times to incorporate new walking routes, the walk adapted to include variations to Rabbit Island and Frenchfurze each June, making use of the increasingly popular greenway. Even during the challenging Covid years, the spirit of Walk for Life endured, with fundraising continuing through individuals completing walks within their own localities, ensuring the momentum and purpose of the initiative was never lost.
Over the years, Walk for Life has supported an impressive list of charities, particularly those serving the Cork region. Beneficiaries include the Special Care Baby Unit at St Finbarr’s Hospital, Cork; the Children’s Leukaemia Association; Mercy Hospital, Cork; Cork Simon Community, including its soup run and day care centre; Multiple Sclerosis Ireland, Cork branch; Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, Ballincollig; and the Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland, Bessboro Day Care Centre, Cork.
Vincent O’Donovan, Managing Director of The Carrigdhoun Newspaper, praised John’s extraordinary dedication, stating: “John Wade’s 30-year commitment to the Walk for Life is nothing short of extraordinary. He has supported some very worthy causes over the three decades. He and all those who have taken part should be very proud of the money they have raised. He is a very deserved winner of the Community Spirit Award.”
Through perseverance, empathy and unwavering community spirit, John Wade has left an enduring legacy, making his recognition as the August Community Spirit Award winner both fitting and well deserved.