People of Mayo encouraged to participate in 100K in 30 Days

Following the success of last year’s 100K in 30 Days event, which raised €1.7 million for Breast Cancer Ireland, organisers are calling on the people of Mayo to join the #pinkarmy and take part in the June event. Registration is now open at www.100kin30days.ie.

The event, sponsored by Sherry FitzGerald, is open to everyone – runners, walkers, those in wheelchairs, families, colleagues, schools, community groups, and sports teams.

Founded by Co. Louth (Blackrock, Dundalk) couple Niall Carroll and Cara McAdam, 100K in 30 Days was launched in 2020 after Cara was diagnosed with breast cancer. Over the last two years, 38,000 people in 36 countries have taken part, raising €3 million for Breast Cancer Ireland.

This money gone towards equipment for a new state-of-the-art Clinical Trial Centre due to open at the new Breast Centre on the Beaumont Hospital Campus in June. This new centre will offer truly translational medicine to patients and will change the landscape positively into the future. All of this will take place under one roof under the watchful eye of a multidisciplinary team.

Funds have also gone towards the Shamrock Trial – a new clinical trial into Her2+ breast cancer that is being created to examine a fourth generation drug and its effectiveness as part of the treatment plan, de-escalating the need for chemotherapy in the process.

Money has been used in supporting specialist breast research nurses in the eight designated cancer centres, whose role is to collaborate and collect patient tissue and serum samples into one large national biobank, allowing clinicians and scientists nationally to avail of the full yearly compliment (3,700) and thereby speeding up research discovery output.

Before these nurses were recruited, each centre may have had one paper in 18-24 months, and now in the past year one centre alone has 12 peer reviewed research papers published, activating new clinical trials.

Finally, funds have gone towards triple-negative breast cancer research, led by Dr. Paul Mullan from the Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research at Queens University Belfast. This research, which commenced in October 2018, is now showing very promising results in the fight against the growth and spread of the most aggressive triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs). Research is progressing and is close to publication/clinical trial development.

Niall Carroll, founder of 100K in 30 Days, commented: “The success of the event over last two years, throughout a pandemic, has spurred us on to make 2022 the biggest year yet. We all know someone who has or has had breast cancer and the purpose of 100K in 30 Days is for everyone – young and old, grandparents to grandkids – to have fun and get the daily steps in while raising much-needed funds for Breast Cancer Ireland.

“Over the last two years we’ve seen €3 million raised which has gone into various research projects, but it doesn’t end there. We want to keep raising money to continue these trials so we’ll continue to fund finding a cure for breast cancer.

“I’m very proud of the success the pink army has achieved to date and we’d be delighted to see new faces this year. I hope communities all across Ireland get behind it. Cancer isn’t defeated alone. It takes a village. It’s a challenge that can be done in your own time anywhere in the world – and you can even get the dog involved!”

Aisling Hurley, CEO of Breast Cancer Ireland, added: “We’ve seen the hugely positive impact that that funds raised from 100K in 30 Days challenge has had for Breast Cancer Ireland. The funds raised over the last two years have supported a number of important initiatives. Breast Cancer Ireland’s vision is to seek to transform this disease from often being fatal to a treatable long-term illness that can be maintained.”

Steven McKenna, CEO of Sherry FitzGerald, said: “We’re delighted to be sponsoring 100K in 30 Days for a second year. We have 100 offices nationwide employing over 600 people and we’ll be taking part in the event in June. Unfortunately there are very few friends, colleagues and family members that haven’t been touched by breast cancer, and we’re delighted to be involved helping to play our part to fund finding a cure for breast cancer.”

100K in 30 Days in aid of Breast Cancer Ireland, sponsored by Sherry FitzGerald, takes place over the month of June. For more information and to register, see www.100kin30days.ie.

Those who register for 100K in 30 Days and log their distances are also in with a chance to win prizes such as a €5,000 holiday voucher, numerous weekends away, children’s prizes, fitbit smart watches and shopping vouchers.