Former Ireland and Ulster Rugby captain Rory Best will embark on an epic 300 km walking challenge in May to help Cancer Fund for Children build a therapeutic short break centre in the West for children impacted by cancer and their families.
Rory’s Miles 2 Mayo will see the rugby legend walk from the Aviva Stadium in Dublin to the site of the short break centre at Daisy Lodge in Cong, on the shores of Lough Corrib.
Between 16 and 25 May, Rory will walk through Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Tipperary, Limerick, Clare and Galway, before arriving in Cong on the Mayo-Galway border.
He hopes to raise €2 million to make this much-needed centre a reality and help ensure no child has to face cancer alone.
“A childhood cancer diagnosis can impact on the whole family. Hospital appointments, treatment and the pressures of navigating this experience can leave a family feeling disconnected and exhausted,” said Rory as he prepares for the challenge.
“Short breaks at Daisy Lodge provide children with cancer a space to rest, time with their families and build connections with others their own age going through the same thing.
“They get to be treated like the stars they are and that’s why I’m delighted to be doing my bit to help bring another therapeutic facility like this to Co. Mayo.”
Rory gave a special thanks to The Ardonagh Group, Arachas and Kingsbridge Private Hospital for sponsoring the walk.
The announcement of Rory’s Miles 2 Mayo follows a town hall meeting in Cong where the charity gave an update on the building of Daisy Lodge and the expansion of the their services across the island of Ireland.
The meeting was attended by local volunteers and community groups as well as public figures including Councillor Damien Ryan and President of Connacht Rugby, Gerry O’Donnell.
In the past year, Cancer Fund for Children has recruited a new Cancer Support Specialist based on St. John’s Ward in Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin.
They have also recently recruited their first community-based Cancer Support Specialist based in the West to provide informal emotional and social support to families navigating a childhood cancer diagnosis in their homes, community and shared care centres.
These roles have been developed in partnership with The Katie Nugent Fund and Children’s Health Foundation and three more community-based roles are due to be filled in the coming months.
Find out more about this organisation by visiting www.cancerfundforchildren.com.
You can also get behind Rory’s challenge and help him go the distance this May by visiting www.rorysmiles2mayo.com.Â
