Easter gift mission launched by Buckley fundraiser
A Buckley charity fundraiser is preparing to deliver hundreds of Easter eggs and toys to children’s wards, hospices and charities across North Wales.
Esmor Davies, who is in his eighties and well known locally for his fundraising work, is launching a month-long Easter gift mission in the run up to Easter Sunday.
The former civil engineer said he was surprised after receiving a large donation of Easter eggs and cuddly toys from the Wrexham-based Pendine Park care organisation.
Mr Davies said: “I never expected anything like this. It is just cracking!
“There are so many eggs I can hardly fit them all in my car.
It is so generous of everyone here at Pendine Park to get behind my campaign like this.”
The Buckley resident has been involved in charity fundraising for more than 40 years.
His work has included organising aid convoys to Bosnia during the conflict in the 1990s and helping deliver supplies to communities affected by the tsunami in Sri Lanka.
More recently he travelled to Ukraine with donated equipment including tools, clothing, blankets and generators.
In North Wales he is known for driving a decorated tractor during annual Christmas fundraising visits to hospitals, hospices and community organisations.
Mr Davies recently dedicated the tractor to his daughter Christine, who died in 2021 aged 53 after living with rheumatoid arthritis.
He said: “We have been successfully doing the Christmas gifts run for so long, that this year I figured why not go for Easter as well.
“I have redecorated the trailer tractor with Easter themed cuddly rabbits, chicks and other toys, along with Easter eggs and Easter themed games to deliver to local charitable causes over the month leading up to Easter Sunday.”
The deliveries will include visits to organisations across Flintshire, Wrexham and Denbighshire.
Mr Davies said community support had helped the campaign grow quickly.
He said: “I have been amazed at how many people have got behind me with this, donating chocolate eggs, other sweet treats, and children’s gifts, all of which will be handed out on our journey.
“We’ll be heading to different hospices and hospitals across Denbighshire, Wrexham and Flintshire.
“I want to thank everyone who has got behind the idea and supported me with this, including the Pendine Park care organisation.”
The latest donation came after Mr Davies visited Pendine Park’s Bryn Bella residential care home in Wrexham to collect the gifts.
Pendine Park consultant artist in residence Sarah Edwards said staff and residents were keen to support the project after meeting him previously.
She said: “We first encountered Esmor at Christmas when he brought his tractor along to our care homes in Wrexham.
“His visit went down a treat with our residents so when we heard he was going to spread yet more joy over the Easter celebrations, we were happy to support him.”
Pendine Park is marking its 40th anniversary this year, and the donation was made through its Pendine Arts and Community Trust.
Staff also added their own seasonal gifts to the collection.
Ms Edwards said: “The whole team here at Pendine has been so generous in getting behind Esmor’s Easter extravaganza. I want to thank them all for helping us provide such a bountiful donation.”
During the visit Mr Davies wore a bright yellow Easter chick costume while collecting the gifts and spoke with residents at the care home.
He said: “We’ll sing some songs and have some great laughs to celebrate the start of spring.
“It is so wonderful to see the smiles and hear the laughter from young patients in hospital and at children’s hospices when we deliver these gifts, all donated from their local communities.
“It is an important way of showing them that no matter what they are going through they are not alone and they are always in our hearts.”
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