Marathon Mad for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland

Bettystown man, Gerard Fay is about to undertake what he considers his biggest challenge to date and all in aid of Cystic Fibrosis Ireland. The challenge will consist of completing 25 Marathons over a period of 10 Months and also a 50 Mile Run from Drogheda to Naas in April and a 65 Mile Run from Cavan to Drogheda (65 Roses Run) later in the year. All funds raised will be used for Equipment in the CF Day Care Facility in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and also for Equipment in the other CF facilities throughout the country.

Gerard is no stranger to the Marathons and has completed 75 Marathons to date and has set the Dublin Marathon 2013 to reach the milestone of his 100th Marathon. He has also done numerous walks up and down the country all with the same idea, to raise Awareness of Cystic Fibrosis and to fundraise for those who need better facilities and services.

Gerard, who is Chairman of the North Eastern branch of Cystic Fibrosis Ireland achieved the first part of his goal by handing over €100,000 from his fundraising efforts and he has now set himself a target to personally raise a further €150,000 for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland before October 2013 when he plans to compete the 100th Marathon.

The Marathons this year will all be in Ireland.

Speaking about his fundraising Gerard said “When I stated doing these marathons in 1998 there was only 2 Marathons in Ireland in Dublin and Belfast. Now there is one in most counties and some even have 2 or 3. The Walk to Naas came about as CF Ireland is celebrating 50 years this year and seemed appropriate to do 50 miles for 50 years in memory of all those who have lost their lives to CF but also as a celebration of the advances in treatments for those with CF and hopefully if I achieve my goals the fundraising can be used to improve their treatments and facilities even more

In conjunction with the Dublin Marathon he is hoping to get 100 People to run this marathon with him each raising a minimum of €100.00. People can also sponsor a mile for €10.00 or corporate donations are also accepted. All corporate donors will be listed on the Donors page of the website.

Gerard would also like to take those who have helped in this project in particular his Family, the members of Drogheda & District AC and Boyne AC, The Marathon Club of Ireland and Bootcamp Ireland. Without the training and encouragement I have received from these I would never have achieved what I have and would never have kept going. However the biggest motivations for this are those with Cystic Fibrosis. They are the real heroes.

To find out more on how to get involved, or to donate contact Gerard on (087) 2398881 after 6pm each night or visit www.mycharity.ie/event/marathon_mad_for_cf. Or his website www.seeoffcf.com. All donation are greatly appreciated no matter how big or small.

About Cystic Fibrosis Ireland

The Cystic Fibrosis Ireland is a voluntary charitable organisation set up in 1963 to increase knowledge and awareness of CF and to give advice and support to people with CF and their families. As well as fundraising towards dedicated CF units throughout the country, the CFAI also:-
• Funds Medical & Scientific Research
• Financially supports specialist CF multi-disciplinary posts in hospitals throughout Ireland
• Provides a home physiotherapy service to people with CF, providing a physiotherapy service to young children with CF and training in new breathing techniques
• Campaigns at political level for increased and improved services for people living with CF

Cystic Fibrosis Ireland
CF House, 24 Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 6
Tel: (01) 4962433; Fax (01) 496 2201; Email info@cfireland.ie; Web: www.cfireland.ie

What is Cystic Fibrosis?
Cystic Fibrosis – or CF is Ireland’s most common life threatening inherited disease. CF is a genetic disorder. It is not contagious, you are born with it. Approximately 1 in 19 people are carriers of the CF gene and when two carriers parent a child there is a 1 in 4 chance of the child being born with Cystic Fibrosis.
CF affects the glands, damaging many organs including the lungs, pancreas, digestive tract and reproductive system. It causes a thick sticky mucus to be produced, blocking the bronchial tubes and preventing the body's natural enzymes from digesting food.

Children born today with CF can expect to live a near normal, full and productive life, provided that the correct facilities are in place.
Ireland has the highest prevalence of Cystic Fibrosis in the World and Ireland has the most severe types of Cystic Fibrosis in the World. Despite this Ireland have the poorest resources for Cystic Fibrosis Patients in Europe.
In other countries CF in-patients are treated in single rooms, but this is not available for most CF patients in Ireland, as highlighted in the 2005 Pollock Report.

Cat was diagnosed with Lupus in August 2011.  Lupus is an automimmune disease which essentially means that the body is allergic to itself.  Instead of  white cells fighting infection and foreign bodies, they attack the joints which leaves them very swollen and very painful. The patient also can suffer severe fatigue, which leaves them without any energy and very very tired, when in that state, life can quite literally pass you by.  Lupus is a very debilitating disease and unfortunately, a life threating disease.

However, running and various other sports is what keeps Cat spurred on.  She had planned after her diagnosis to quit running, 'but if I do that, I am allowing Lupus to beat me.  I may have Lupus, but it doesnt have me. Running is no longer about getting that Personal Best, its about starting and finishing a race, concentrating on that aspect of running allows me, for that moment, beat lupus!"

Cat and her friend Michael both won a spot to run for Lupus UK in the Virgin London Marathon 2013.  Michael is an experienced marathon runner having run the London 2yrs ago.  Cat, on the other hand has never ran a marathon.  This is not only an honour to gain a much wanted space in the marathon, but also a personal acheivement.

Lupus UK provides so much support to Lupus patients, they have been a god send to Cat, and this is why she wants to give back, and bring her running shoes out of retirement.

Along with supporting patients, they also help with funding to research this disease, unfortunately, there is not enough known about the illness, we dont know why it strikes certain people (90% female between the ages of 15-55) and unfortunately, the disease is, at present, incurable.  With funds hopefully, one day, we will be able to hear that there is a cure for Lupus, and not another life lost.

You can donate through JustGiving here.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

'So please dig deep and donate as much as you can for this wonderful charity that has done so much for me and my fellow 'lupie' patients. Thank you.'  xx

About Lupus UK

LUPUS UK is the only National Charity which supports people with the immune system illness Lupus. It has a number of groups throughout the UK and supports over 6,000 members through these groups. It also provides funding for medical research into this life threatening and debilitating illness.

II (AC) Charity event 25 July - 01 Nov 2012

The world’s oldest fixed-wing Flying Squadron, II(Army-Cooperation) Squadron, was formed in Farnborough on 13 May 1912 as one of the original Squadrons of the RFC. The Squadron quickly gained fame for a number of long distance flights around the UK and one of it’s first ever flights was from Fanrborough Airfield to Montrose in Scotland . In honour of this historic flight and the Sqn’s centenary, we, the modern-day II(AC) Sqn, intend to recreate this challenge by completing the distance of this flight every day for 100 days by means of Running, Cycling, Rowing and Cross Trainer equipment. The distance from Farnborough Airfield to the Modern Montrose Airport is, according to Google Maps, 1074km which involves walking and 2 ferry crossings. Collectively as a team, this means covering over 100,000 Km during the 100 days.

We will carry out this challenge during the Sqn’s deployment to Afghanistan on Op HERRICK in aid of the charity Scotty's Little Soldiers. This charity provides treats, trips and activities for families of fallen servicemen and women with the aim of offering a respite – however brief - from the daily ups and downs of coping without a loved one.

Any donations for this great cause will be extremely appreciated. You can donate via our charity page here.

About Scotty’s Little Soldiers

Every year, families in the UK hear the news they’ve been dreading: a loved one serving in the British Armed Forces has been killed.Proud mums and dads lose precious daughters and sons, wives and husbands their soul mates, but perhaps most poignantly of all – young children lose a beloved parent. Scotty’s Little Soldiers exists to bring a ray of sunshine into the lives of the children our fallen heroes leave behind. Inspired by army widow, Nichola Scott, following the death in Afghanistan of her husband, Corporal Lee Scott, known by many as ‘Scotty’, the charity raises money to provide treats, outings and activities so that bereaved forces children – and their families-can enjoy an occasional break from their everyday struggles.Lee will always be remembered by his friends and colleagues as a loyal 26 year old soldier serving with the 2nd Royal Tank regiment, but he was also a fun and loving father-of-two. He leaves behind his six year old son, Kai and 19 month old daughter, Brooke. We know that a birthday gift, trip to a theme park or visit to a zoo won’t take their grief away, but if we can offer a brief respite to these brave children coming to terms with their loss, we believe our efforts won’t have been in vain. We have got big plans and high hopes for the charity including buying holiday homes so the families can have breaks away, but we need your help to succeed. Fundraising events are underway and our launch party is on Saturday 28th August in Tidworth, Wiltshire, the town where Lee was based and lived with Nichola and the children in their army quarter. We are hoping it will raise lots of awareness as well as money to help the charity take off in a positive way.

Donate here.

Vicky Grant lost a friend to cancer and wanted to do something to help raise awareness and funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust. www.justgiving.com/Vicky-Grant

Vicky had this to say:

"Cancer is an evil thing, annd I'm sure you will agree with me on this! No one deserves to have their life taken away from them too soon and I believe that everybody deserves a fair chance at surviving! Life is a precious thing and we should cherish someone elses as we would cherish our own, and we should fight for one another!

Teenage Cancer Trust provides specialist cancer care for teenagers in specific. This gives them a positive atmosphere in which they are able to hopefully recover.

I want to make as much money as possible for this charity, I feel it is so wrong that such a young person could have their life taken away from them so soon! We should be donating and helping these people and charities in every possible way to keep these teens fighting and keep them living!

I know there will be so many people asking for donations and wanting to help their charity but I cant express enough how much I want to help these patients, it would mean so much to me and them if you even just donated a little money!

Thankyou for taking your time to read this and please donate!"

Vicky Grant :)

www.justgiving.com/Vicky-Grant

Hannah was born with an extremely rare, as yet undiagnosed, eating disorder which prevents her from being able to consume any food or fluid orally. Since birth Hannah has suffered from severe reflux causing her extreme pain and suffering. Currently she can only be drip-fed via a Gastric Tube which has greatly hampered her growth and development. Hannah has received fantastic support and palliative care from specialists at The Royal Hospital for Sick Kids in Edinburgh however, they are currently unable to find a cure for this rare condition. To seek the necessary psychological care required to hopefully cure Hannahs parents have sought specialist help from a clinic in Germany. Treatment is anticipated to be in excess of £20,000. To help with these costs Dave and James plan to raise funds by holding different events including the golf outing with the final one being the hike and bike.

We would be extremely grateful if you could assist us in this worthwhile cause.

Please have a look at Facebook Page HelpHannahFeed and the website for more information.

These guys are doing a really cool thing, crossing the the whole of Mongolia on motorbikes to raise money for some very worthwhile charities. You can check out their facebook page here, and they have a Virgin money giving page here.

Garry Campbell, Jonathan Coats and Quintin Stevens will embark upon a journey that will see them cross over 9000 miles of rugged terrain in often extreme weather conditions to raise money for four highly commendable charities: Marie Curie, Highland Hospice, Mind and the Raigmore Hospital Renal Unit.

Leaving from The STOREHOUSE – an 18th century graded restaurant and farm shop in Evanton, Scottish Highlands – the 9000-mile route will take the bikers south to Newcastle upon Tyne where they will board a ferry to Amsterdam. From then on their only transportation will be the three Yamaha XT660Z motorcycles used to carry them across Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Russia, Siberia and into Mongolia, before finally disembarking in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar. The whole trip will take a month.

Unpredictable climate conditions, camping in unknown provinces, dangerous off-road terrain and both physical and mental exhaustion are just a few of the challenges that lie ahead – but challenges all three biker’s will relish in order to raise an estimated £50,000 for their chosen charities.

During the Christmas holidays 2010, Louise Wheeler decided to set herself the challenge of cycling Lands End to John o Groats in aid of The Kids of Kolkata Drochas Trust. On the 30th of July she will start her journey of over 1000 miles in eleven days with help from friends and family along the way. Check out her blog here. Find out more about The Kids of Kolkata Drochas Trust here.

Update

On the 9^th June Joy will be flying out to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care. She will be doing the trek in memory of her mum who passed away nearly 10 years ago.

Kilimanjaro is one of the highest free-standing mountains in the world, towering 5,895m above the surrounding plains. She will be trekking up the mountain via the Rongai route which is considered to be one of the most achievable routes to the summit and retains a sense of untouched wilderness. This should take the group about 6-7 days. Also taking part in the trek is Chris Kamara of Sky Sports!

Joy's just giving page is www.justgiving.com/joyskilimanjarotrek and you can follow her progress at www.facebook.com/joy.mackenzie

Update

Well done Joy!

We are sponsoring Kyle Liptrot in the Maggies Monster Bike and Hike 2011. Saturday 30 April to Sunday 1 May.

Maggie’s Monster Bike and Hike is a 24-hour fundraising team challenge. The event goes from Fort William through to Inverness covering 73 miles along the Great Glen Way.

 Participants bike 30 miles and can then choose to hike eight miles to our Bronze finish, 22 miles to our Silver finish or go the whole way and walk 43 miles to our Gold finish! Teams of men, women, colleagues, friends and families are all invited to take part. Teams must be a minimum of two and a maximum of six and all participants must be over 18 years of age.

 So why not get your team together and get registered? It’ll be the highlight of your social calendar in 2011! Monster 2010 saw a record number of participants take to the route, with almost 1,000 people biking and hiking along the beautiful Great Glen Way to raise funds for those affected by cancer, and raised an amazing £600,000 - will you help us smash that record in 2011?

If you have any questions related to Maggie's Monster Bike and Hike, please email monster@maggiescentres.org or call 0300 123 1801.

Update

Kyle and his partner Kristen both finished with bronze medals. Well done guys!

A group of friends from Bannatynes Health Club in Inverness, under the name of Inverness Spinners, are cycling from Land's End to John O'Groats (LE JOG) in July 2011.

The riders are Judith Catherwood, Drew Milne, Karen McMillan, Jamie Mackay, Honor O'Malley, Alan McDiarmid, Bryan Grant, Hazel Smith, Alex MacNaughton, Alison Graham, Donna Chisholm, Hugh Kelly, Caroline Keith, Neil Beatie, Iain Bamber and Amanda Trafford. They are supported by Joanne Scott and Fiona Morrison.

They are taking 10 days to cover the 1000 miles, and hope to raise as much money as possible for SNAP, the Special Needs Action Project and Multiple Sclerosis Scotland. They have setup a website with more information here.

We are proud to be sponsoring the Carbonauts Team - Bob McClymont, Grant Andrews, Keith Hinds and John McKinnon.

Four Lycra clad cyclists from Inverness will commence their Lands End to John O'Groats charity cycle ride on 18th June 2011 in aid of the Highland Hospice. The journey will cover over 1,000 miles, which they intend to complete in 10 days.

You can keep up with their progress via website http://www.carbonauts.co.uk where you can also get further information on events they are organising and contact/sponsorship details.

Update