Run or walk 100k in 30 days for Breast Cancer Ireland

Following the phenomenal success of last year’s 100k in 30 Days event, organised by Co. Louth couple Niall Carroll & Cara McAdam, which raised over €1.2 million in essential funding for Breast Cancer Ireland, this year’s bigger and better family-focussed virtual event has been launched, with a target of 20,000 #pinkarmy participants and a brand-new title sponsor, Sherry FitzGerald.

The national event which is a fun initiative, aimed at casual strollers, keen walkers, joggers and seasoned runners alike is open to everyone from ages 1-100, and invites participants to walk, jog, run or wheel a total of 100km (or more!) during the month of June to help raise funds for Ireland’s leading breast cancer charity, Breast Cancer Ireland.

As an additional incentive, there are circa €30,000 worth of incredible prizes to be won throughout the event to include a €3500 family travel voucher (sponsored by Connect Credit Union), 5 star hotel breaks, restaurant vouchers, luxury brands and family days out.

Registrations for the event will open at www.100kin30days.ie on Thursday 15th April, 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.”

Proceeds from the event will help to fund life-saving research and the provision of good breast health education and awareness programmes nationwide by Breast Cancer Ireland, who plan to channel funds raised by the #PinkArmy through the event this year into 3 specific areas, namely:

1 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.

2 Support for the 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 centralized resource, accessible to clinicians and scientists nationwide, thus helping to speed up discovery times and research progression from laboratory to clinical trial

3 Support for the 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”

Sherry FitzGerald CEO, Steven McKenna added “Our sponsorship of this fantastic event aligns well with our own community led brand values. We’re delighted to contribute in any way that we can to help grow the profile of the event and drive participation throughout the villages, towns and cities in which we operate all across Ireland. It is a privilege to be involved in any initiative that helps to advance a cure for breast cancer – a cause that touches the lives of so many including many of our own friends, family, colleagues and associates”.

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