Rugby legend to walk 300 km. to help build Mayo children's cancer facility

Former Ireland and Ulster rugby captain Rory Best has announced details of Rory’s Miles 2 Mayo, a 300 km. walking challenge to help Cancer Fund for Children build a therapeutic short break centre for children impacted by cancer and their families in Cong.

From May 16 to 25, Rory will walk from the Aviva Stadium in Dublin to the site of this facility, Daisy Lodge, on the shores of Lough Corrib.

Travelling through Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Tipperary, Limerick, Clare, Galway and Mayo, Rory hopes to raise €2 million to make this much needed centre a reality and help ensure no child has to face cancer alone.

“I’m taking on a mammoth walking challenge in support of Cancer Fund for Children this May," said Rory of the challenge ahead.

“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.

"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.

"This challenge is being generously sponsored by The Ardonagh Group, Arachas and Kingsbridge Private Hospital so I want to give a special thanks to them for making this possible.”

The announcement comes shortly after the charity held a town hall meeting in Cong Community Centre where they gave an update on the building of Daisy Lodge and the expansion of the charity’s services across the island of Ireland.

This was attended by local volunteers and community groups as well as key public figures including Councillor Damien Ryan and president of Connacht Rugby, Padraic Moran.

In the last 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.