Ashbourne events to support families affected by childhood cancer

Ashbourne and District Lions Club will host a family fun walk in support of families in Meath affected by childhood cancer, as part of a new project being launched by Lions Clubs across Ireland in partnership with the charity Childhood Cancer Ireland.

A coffee morning already took place last Friday, 15th September, and the family fun/ walk takes place on 23rd September. They will also light up Ashbourne in gold.

An average of seven children, adolescents, and young adults (aged 0-24) are diagnosed with cancer each week in Ireland.

During Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Childhood Cancer Ireland and Ashbourne and District Lions will ‘Light It Up Gold’ to raise awareness of childhood, adolescent and young adult cancer.

Their major events begin with a coffee morning at Ashbourne House Hotel on Friday September 15th from 10am to 12.30pm. All are welcome to come along for coffee, cake, biscuits and a raffle.

The family fun walk will take place on Saturday 23rd September leaving the Community Centre at 3pm and arriving via the main street at The Library Plaza. Dogs are welcome once they are on leads. There will be facepainting, music, water and goodies for the children.

Lions International have prioritised childhood cancer as one of their five global causes for many years, in recognition of the significant challenge this disease continues to present to children and families worldwide. Now, the Lions Clubs in Ireland will complement their fifteen existing District projects with a new focus on childhood cancer.

John Baitson, President Ashbourne & District Lions Club said: “Ashbourne & District Lions Club is proud to support this District project. Throughout the year, and particularly in September, which is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we will work with Childhood Cancer Ireland to bring our community in Ashbourne together in solidarity with families affected by childhood cancer.

“We can help to raise funds to improve supports and services nationwide and to raise awareness of both the signs and symptoms of childhood cancer and what it means to live with this disease.”

Gerald Cashman, District Governor of Lions International for the District of Ireland said:“We are delighted to engage in this new project on childhood cancer. Working with Childhood Cancer Ireland enables us to serve this community by shining a light on what it means to live with childhood cancer and to create awareness of the signs and symptoms to increase early detection.”

Each year in Ireland, an average of 353 children, adolescents and young adults are diagnosed with cancer. Childhood Cancer Ireland is the national parent and survivor-led charity representing the voice of children and young people with cancer, survivors and their families. The seeds for the charity were planted 10 years ago in 2013, when a group of parents struggling to find adequate supports and services got together for the first Light It Up Gold Walk in Dublin.

Childhood Cancer Ireland continues to be driven by parents and survivors and to advocate for better supports and services for families and better outcomes for children.

Laura Cullinan, CEO of Childhood Cancer Ireland said: “To hear those words ‘your child has cancer’ is every parent’s worst nightmare. But for hundreds of families in Ireland, it is their reality and they are left feeling scared, isolated and alone.

“One of the greatest tools we have is the ability to reach out and to break through the isolation, to walk in solidarity with our families to show that their community is behind them. It is fitting that, 10 years after the first Light It Up Gold Walk, we will work in partnership with the Lions Club of Ireland to ensure that more families feel supported and less alone.”