Former rugby captain Rory Best to trek 300km raising funds for children’s cancer charity

The former Ireland rugby captain will trek 300km across the island of Ireland this month to raise money to help build a Daisy Lodge in Cong, Co Mayo.

Cancer Fund for Children plans to open their second therapeutic short break centre for children diagnosed with cancer and their families.

In 2021 Best raised over €1m for the charity.

But they now have an ambitious target to raise €2m by the end of 2023.

He will trek 300km across the island between May 16 and 25, with stops in Dublin, Kildare, Portlaoise, Limerick, Ennis and Galway.

Golfer Rory McIlroy has already donated over €1m to enable Daisy Lodge to secure the site it identified outside Cong for its therapeutic centre.

Ex-Ireland rugby captain Paul O’Connell and current star Conor Murray are also set to join Co Down farmer Best for his fundraising stops in the midwest.

“A childhood cancer diagnosis can impact the whole family,” said Best.

“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 Mayo.”

Cancer Fund for Children works closely with Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin Hospital where it has recently recruited a cancer support specialist on St John’s Ward.

It has also recruited a specialist in Galway to provide informal therapeutic, emotional, and social support to children diagnosed with cancer and their families.

These roles have been developed in partnership with the Katie Nugent Fund and Children’s Health Foundation.

Three more community-based roles are due to be filled in the coming months.

“Every week across Ireland, 10 children and young people (aged 0-24) are diagnosed with cancer,” said Phil Alexander, chief executive of Cancer Fund for Children.

“We understand the devastating impact a cancer diagnosis and its treatment can have on the whole family, and that beyond the essential medical care, many families need social and emotional support.

“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, Co Down – the inspiration for our second centre to be built in Cong.

“Once Daisy Lodge Mayo is operational, we will be able to support more than double the number of families each year.”

Further information is available on the website, rorysmiles2mayo.com