Donegal man's initiative raises €24,000 to help keep the Cancer Bus running

A Donegal Town man who has overcome his own major health problems has raised €24,000 in an innovative fundraiser for the Cancer Bus.

Billy Bustard is well known in the area for his work in supporting cancer services. Having lost his brother Norman to cancer some years ago, he began holding annual fundraising dances ten years ago.

The Covid-19 pandemic meant that fundraisers involving gatherings of people ground to a halt. As Ireland entered a second year of restrictions in 2021, Mr Bustard put his thinking cap on to see if he could come up with an alternative, Covid-safe idea.

“The Cancer Bus makes a lot of its money from the charity shop and that was closed,” said Mr Bustard.

“I felt that I just had to do something, so I bought this lovely old tractor, a Massey Ferguson 35.

“Over six months I restored it and I went out and sold tickets.”

Restoration work included fully rebuilding the engine, as well as adding new starter, battery, injector pump, tyres and rims.

The result was a sight to behold, and drew much attention as Mr Bustard displayed it on the Diamond in Donegal Town and around the county. 

“We towed it all over the county,” he said. “We were in Ardara, Dunfanaghy, Pettigo, Bundoran.”

Mr Bustard was thrilled with the response that he got to the raffle.

“We wouldn’t have made that much money on a dance,” he said. 

“It was just great.

“It was very nice to speak to people too. I enjoyed it all so much. The people I met were fantastic and the support was great.”

Mr Bustard knows first hand why the Cancer Bus is so important. Indeed, when he started out fundraising for cancer services, little could he have known that he would have been availing of them himself.

“I was treated for prostate cancer in Galway three years ago,” he said. 

“The Cancer Bus is a great thing for Donegal people.”

Many people who have used the bus are full of praise for the service. It allows them to make the journey to Galway for treatment without relying on friends or relatives to drive them. It is a lot easier than travelling on public transport as drivers are fully understanding of people feeling nauseous, needing more toilet stops and the many other ill effects of severe chemotherapy.

“I wanted to give something back,” said Mr Bustard. 

“It is great to be able to go up and down to Galway free of charge.

“I know a lot of the people using the bus and they are left at the door and lifted at the door.”

He points out that over the years, the Cancer Bus charity has also supported families of people suffering from cancer to the tune of around €400,000.

Mr Bustard has also undergone open heart surgery in recent years, a major operation that has left him with an even deeper appreciation for life and for the people around him.

His fundraising achievements in the face of his own health issues and the backdrop of the pandemic show how much of a positive impact one person can have on the lives of the people around them.