Picture: Keith Wiseman
A SEA of pink washed over the twin towns of Killaloe and Ballina on Sunday as they hosted the sixth annual Killaloe Pink Ribbon Walk in aid of Action Breast Cancer.
This year proved to be the biggest event to date, with more than 1,000 walkers and runners and crowds in excess of 1,600 joining in the celebrations afterwards at the Lakeside Hotel in Ballina.
Niamh Briggs, captain of the Irish Ladies Rugby Team and this year’s Killaloe Pink Ribbon Ambassador, led out the army of pink t-shirts on the 10k route from the Lakeside Hotel.
She said: “It is an honour to be asked to support such an amazing charity. It’s so important to spread the good word, fight the fight and some day they will find a cure.”
The first to cross the finish line with a time of 45.02 was Martin Pearl of Ballina, and right behind him was the first lady to pass the line, Mairead O’Callighan of Effin, Co Limerick with a time of 46.17.
Carmell DeMello. event chairperson said on Sunday: “I am absolutely thrilled with today’s turnout. It is such an amazing cause, and I’m very proud of the residents of the town for all their effort in making today what it is.”
Local businesses once again got involved dressing shop windows, and flying flags and balloons, while a bunting of pink bras swung proudly across the bridge joining the two counties.
The funds from the walk go directly to Action Breast Cancer, a programme of the Irish Cancer Society that supports vital services including the National Cancer Freephone Helpline (1800 200 700) staffed by specialist cancer care nurses.
In 2011, specialist cancer nurses supported 22,120 callers to the National Cancer Helpline. A total of 741 of these calls came from the Mid West region of Limerick, Clare and Tipperary.
The Society’s advocacy service provides a voice for women with breast cancer in Ireland, while financial assistance is also available for those experiencing difficulties as a result of their cancer diagnosis. Other vital services include: health promotion, providing community and workplace programmes on breast cancer awareness and early detection; night nursing for critically ill patients.
Some 8,110 nights of care were provided to 2,014 families in 2011, 996 nights of which were provided in the Mid West region.
In addition, more than 688,266 cancer information booklets and fact sheets were provided to people concerned about cancer across the country in 2011 with 58,553 distributed in the Mid West.
