Rory’s charity walk to Mayo

Rory’s charity walk to Mayo

15 September 2021

FORMER Ulster rugby star Rory Best is nearing the end of his 180 mile walk across Ireland after setting off from Daisy Lodge in Newcastle last week.

The 39 year-old rugby legend — who also captained Ireland — set off on ‘Rory’s Miles 2 Mayo’ challenge last Wednesday in support of the Cancer Fund for Children charity.

Rory walked from the charity’s base on the outskirts of the resort all the way to the site of a newly proposed Daisy Lodge facility in Co Mayo.

The mammoth nine-day challenge has raised much-needed funds to support the charity’s services which include restorative breaks at the Newcastle facility at the foot of the Mourne Mountains. 

The aim of the breaks are to allow families to spend quality time together in a safe and nurturing environment, far removed from hospital wards and treatment regimes.

Speaking before he set off from Newcastle, Rory revealed that his family and friends will affirm that he is not a fan of walking.

“Walking 180 miles in nine days will be tough, but nowhere near as tough as the challenges that families dealing with childhood cancer face,” he said.

Rory has taken on the challenge in a bid to raise £500,000 for the Cancer Fund for Children which last year provided emotional support to over 1,500 young people.

“I’m not only taking on this challenge to raise vital funds, but also awareness of the impact cancer has on the lives of children and young people,” Rory explained. 

“Already an incredible £234,075 has been raised and I would like to thank our incredible sponsors, local schools, clubs and business for getting behind me. If you can, please donate to my challenge and cheer me on.”

The nine day challenge began last Wednesday, with now less than 48 hours left until Rory reaches his goal.

Throughout his journey, the former British and Irish Lions players has been joined for short periods by families affected by cancer, as well as some notable names from the rugby and entertainment world.

They include Tommy Bowe, Jacob Stockdale, Tadhg Furlong, Rob Kearney, Robert Balacoune, Bundee Aki, Conor Murray and well-known television chef and personality Neven Maguire.

Once Rory’s challenge is completed, he will have walked from Newcastle to the site of a proposed second Daisy Lodge in Cong Co. Mayo, passing through Down, Armagh, Fermanagh, Leitrim, Sligo and Mayo, taking in over 30 towns and villages along the way. 

For every family Cancer Fund for Children can support across Ireland, there are another six they cannot. This is why the charity urgently needs to build a second facility in Co Mayo. 

To donate to ‘Rory’s Miles 2 Mayo’ fundraiser visit cancerfundforchildren.com or visit Rory’s JustGiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/rorysmiles2mayo.

Rory’s journey can also be followed on Instagram (@rorybest2 @cancerfundforchildren), Facebook (@cancerfundchildren) and Twitter (@cancerfundchild).