Fiona launches fundraiser to fight breast cancer

Nenagh-born breast cancer survivor and well-known fashion and beauty blogger Fiona Morgan-Coleman has helped to launch a nationwide family focussed virtual event aimed at funding life-saving research and provision of good breast health education programmes run by Breast Cancer Ireland.

Fiona, a daughter of former town councillor Tommy Morgan, is now a member of An Garda Siochána living in Shrule on the border of counties Galway and Mayo. She took part in the launch on Monday of this year’s ‘110k in 30 Days’ event. The national fun-filled initiative will be held throughout June and is aimed at casual strollers, keen walkers, joggers and seasoned runners alike to jog, run or wheel a total of 100km, or more, to help raise funds for Ireland’s leading breast cancer charity, Breast Cancer Ireland.

The event is organised by Co Louth couple Niall Carroll and Cara McAdam, and last year it raised over €1.2 million in essential funding for Breast Cancer Ireland.

This year’s event promises to be even bigger and better, and there are around €30,000 worth of incredible prizes to be won throughout the initiative, including a €3,500 family travel voucher (sponsored by Connect Credit Union), five-star hotel breaks, restaurant vouchers, luxury brands and family days out.

Registrations for the event will open at www.100kin30days.ie on this Thursday, April 15th, and Niall Carroll, the founder of the now annual event, is urging people to register early to ensure that participation packs and the much-loved pink T-shirts arrive in good time for the event.

Niall, who originally established the event in support of his wife Cara following her breast cancer diagnosis, commented: “We’re aiming to increase participation this year to 20,000, and have full confidence that once again our ‘pink army’ from all of the island of Ireland will jump on board and get involved. To have a title sponsor such as Sherry FitzGerald involved this year, with such a strong geographic footprint all across the country, is wonderful and will help us to grow the event and its reach even further in 2021. Last year saw participants from no less than 34 countries worldwide getting involved and we’re calling on everyone and their families to support us again this year, to make it our biggest and most inclusive event to date.”

Funds raised will go towards the development of a state-of-the-art Clinical Trials Centre, to be housed in the new Breast Cancer Research Centre, being built on the grounds of Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, and due to open in autumn of this year. This new centre will help translate laboratory findings into newer, more effective, drug therapies for patients into the future.

Monies raised will also go towards supporting Breast Cancer Ireland funded specialist breast cancer Research Nurses in the designated cancer centres all across Ireland, whose role it is to collect and collate patient tissue and serum samples into one large centralised resource, accessible to clinicians and scientists nationwide, thus helping to speed up discovery times and research progression from laboratory to clinical trial.

The event will generate funds to support Breast Cancer Ireland Education and Outreach Programmes delivered nationally to schools, companies and community groups. These programmes educate on good breast health, outlining the signs and symptoms to look out for, and also how to properly perform a self-breast examination.

Breast Cancer Ireland CEO Aisling Hurley comments: “The 100k in 30 Days event is a phenomenal event and the monies raised will help us to fund the consistent and intensive breast cancer research, which is vital in advancing a cure to what can be a devastating disease. Through this research and the ongoing clinical trials seeking to develop newer targeted therapies, the ultimate goal of Breast Cancer Ireland is to transform this disease into a treatable illness that can be maintained long-term.”

Participation in the ‘100k in 30 Days’ event is easy - simply register to take part in this family event, encourage your friends and family to do the same, then track each walk, jog or run during the month of June on your smartphone or app and upload your activity to your 100k in 30 days account – add an optional photo and watch your kilometres grow!

Follow ongoing event updates on Instagram @100kin30days or on Twitter using the hashtags #100kin30days and #pinkarmy