A DUNMANWAY woman is set to embark on a 220km trip on a vintage tractor she inherited from her dad to raise money for two local hospitals that have cared for generations of her family.

Sandra Patterson will set off in her 1975 Ford 6600 on August 19th and travel from Ballinacarriga to Castletownbere via the Mealagh Valley, returning the next day.

The route has been carefully chosen to recreate the longest journeys made by her father, John Patterson, who regularly drove the same tractor over the Mealagh Valley for decades while hauling grain and beet.

The tractor itself has become something of a local legend. Originally purchased by John from John Burnes of Rory Bridge, Rosscarbery in 1983, the Ford 6600 with the original engine, never touched, has completed its sixth time around the clock, an extraordinary achievement for a working tractor of its age.

‘For me, this tractor is much more than a vintage machine,’ Sandra said. ‘It holds a lifetime of memories. Dad worked tirelessly with it for years and it represents his love of farming and machinery which I inherited from him. Driving the same tractor on one of his most memorable routes – a route that took him five or six hours each way  – is my way of honouring everything he has done.’

She’s also hoping to do another fundraising run from Malin to Mizen in the tractor she affectionately calls ‘my old girl’ next year.

Sandra has been passionate about tractors and vintage machinery since childhood, having grown up in an agricultural family. She took over her family farm in 2001 at the age of 21 and successfully ran it for 14 years.

She has regularly attended tractor runs, working days and vintage shows throughout Cork and beyond with her treasured Ford 6600. The fundraiser is deeply personal, said Sandra, mum to Lily (14).

‘My dad has been living with dementia and has been a resident of Clonakilty Community Hospital for more than seven years. In recent months, my mother, Betty and hr uncle, Billy Kingston, have become residents of Dunmanway Community Hospital. Other family members, including uncle and grandparents were also residents of one or other of these two facilities,’ she said.

Proceeds will be shared equally between Clonakilty Community Hospital and Dunmanway Community Hospital through a GoFundMe campaign established by Sandra.

‘I simply cannot speak highly enough of the care my family has received,’ she said. ‘The management and staff in both hospitals are exceptional. This is my way of saying thank you and giving something back to two places that have cared for so many of the people
I love.’

Supporters can contribute through Sandra’s GoFundMe campaign ‘The John Patterson Legacy Run 2026’. Sandra said: ‘This run is about remembering dad, celebrating our farming heritage and supporting two wonderful hospitals that mean so much to our family and our community.’