2,000 think pink
Bishopstown was awash with shades of pink on Sunday when more than 2,000 people took part in Breast Cancer Ireland’s Very Pink Run.
The event in MTU brought to an end this year's series of Very Pink Runs, which saw almost 10,500 participants across three venues in Dublin, Kilkenny and Cork, raising an estimated €600,000 in funds for Breast Cancer Ireland research and clinical trials.
The annual fundraising event has now seen almost 97,000 participants from over 40 countries take part since its inception.
Speaking at the Cork event, Aisling Hurley, CEO of Breast Cancer Ireland said: “This year’s live Very Pink Run event in Cork proves that this is the most fun run – bar none! The atmosphere today was electric, family-friendly and festival-like with musical entertainment, the Very Pink Support Squad out in force, and all in all a humbling and uplifting event for all members of our extensive breast cancer community.
“We estimate approximately 2,000 people participated today in Cork. Every cent raised through the event will help fund life-saving clinical research and new trials – and our continued provision of good breast health and education and awareness programmes nationwide, with the ultimate goal of transforming this disease, into a treatable illness for all of those affected.”
The funds raised through the event this year will be channelled into two targeted areas by Breast Cancer Ireland:
• Continued investment into research into metastatic disease progression to the brain - through an international collaboration with the Ludwig Breast Research Centre at the University of Chicago, and the BCI funded Research Centre at the Royal College of Surgeons. This highly challenging, and sometimes fatal diagnosis, requires continuous high-level investment to help identify new ways of preventing metastasis where the initial tumour in the breast travels to major organs in the body, most notably the brain. New targeted drug therapies are helping when other major organs like the spine, bones, lung or liver are affected, but Breast Cancer Ireland is working tirelessly to try to identify ways to block cells invading the brain
• Driving progression and speed of scientific discovery from research settings into international clinical trials – through continued investment in this area, Breast Cancer Ireland is transforming new scientific discoveries in the laboratories into timely clinical trials so as to develop newer, more effective and personalised targeted treatments and therapies into the future – thus making breast cancer a treatable illness for all.