FORMER Ireland and Ulster rugby captain Rory Best is to walk 300km across Ireland in support of children and families impacted by cancer.
Starting in Dublin and making his way on foot to Cong, 'Rory’s Miles 2 Mayo' will be his second walking challenge for the Cancer Fund for Children.
Funds raised during this walk, which will take place from May 16 to 25 and take the rugby legend across eight counties, will go towards building the charity's second therapeutic short break centre in Cong in Co Mayo.
It comes after Best completed a similar challenge in September 2021 when he walked from Daisy Lodge in Newcastle, Co Down to the site of the new centre in Cong and raising over £800,000 in aid of the cancer charity that supports families across the island of Ireland.
Since opening in 2014, the Co Down facility has provided over 3,000 families navigating cancer with a safe and supportive space where they can spend time together and escape from the realities of cancer.
The charity says that every month around 30 children and young people (aged 0-24) are diagnosed with cancer throughout Ireland. It says that for every family they support, there are another six that they cannot help.
Launching the latest walking challenge at the Aviva Stadium, the home of Irish rugby, Best has set himself the incredible target of raising £1.5 million.
"A childhood cancer diagnosis can impact on the whole family," he said.
"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 with a space to rest, spend 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."
Phil Alexander from Cancer Fund for Children added: "Each year, we support over 1,500 children and young people and 500 families impacted by cancer with therapeutic short breaks at Daisy Lodge in Newcastle.
"Once Daisy Lodge Mayo is operational, we will be able to support more than double the number of families each year."
For information, please visit www.rorysmiles2mayo.com
