Posted online: Nov 12th, 2009

By Rose B. O’Donoghue
Reporter

SENSATIONAL KIDS founder, Karen Leigh was named overall winner of the Rehab Kildare Person of the Year 2009 award in the Keadeen Hotel last Friday night, for her work with the group.
Sensational Kids provides therapeutic services at half the rate of private consultancy fees, for up to 50 children per week at the Kildare centre with Autism spectrum disorders, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Dyspraxia, Global Developmental Delays, Dyslexia, Sensory Processing Disorders, etc catered for. To support the facility, Karen and fellow parents set up a toy shop, also named Sensational Kids, which stocks educational and learning aids to children of all abilities.
On the 20th anniversary of the awards the competition was stiff, as there were a number of worthy nominees for the title. These included the Maleady family in Clane for their work with Outreach Moldova, Roisin Malone for her work with Jumping Jelly Beans, Tir na Mona who are responsible for carrying out considerable environmental and cultural projects in the area; jockey Ruby Walsh, Ireland, Leinster and Lions rugby player Jamie Heaslip, canoeist Eoin Rheinisch of Leixlip who finished fourth in the Bejing Olympics, Shirley Keogh who has done much work with Club 2000, Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, Anna May McHugh of the National Ploughing Championships, Jane Mullins of Newbridge Community Development, Christy McEvoy who has given over 20 years to the local scouts and Frank Connolly who his worked on behalf of the Curragh Community.
Sponsors for the event included Joe Mallon Motors, KTK Sand & Gravel, Keadeen Hotel, Naas Printing, Cill Dara Betting, Naas Credit Union, Business Excellence Consultancy Ltd, Bord na Mona and Naas Health & Fitness who each sponsored an individual award.