Saturday 9 November 2013

Cheque Presentation for Relay for Life 2013!

The first ever Relay for Life Kilkenny took place this past July at The Watershed. On Friday night in Bridies Bar, Relayers and Survivors joined together to celebrate a successful event and present a cheque to the Irish Cancer Society.



Over €39,000 was raised and Committee Chairperson, Jo Kelly said, “the enthusiasm in the community has been incredible. It is truly something that is just going to continue to grow and gain momentum and everyone is already looking forward to Relay for Life 2014.”  


Left to Right: Matt Lewis, Irish Cancer Society, cancer survivors Bridget Lannon, Aideen Blanchfield, Kathleen O'Sullivan, Joanne Brennan, Survivors' Chair, Jo Kelly, Committee Chairperson.

Thursday 3 October 2013

Heather the Heifer's Big Day


A Story of Community Spirit: Heather the Heifer Raises €8,500 for Relay for Life Kilkenny

It was an exciting day at The Mart Kilkenny today as the businesses of Cillín Hill finished their fundraising for Relay for Life Kilkenny with the much anticipated auction of Heather the Heifer.

When the staff of the Cillín Hill businesses decided to take part in Relay for Life, they decided to raise money through the purchase of a calf or heifer to raffle at the event. Christy Comerford was approached and asked if he would sell them a suitable animal for raffle. As it happened, Christy and his wife Marguerite had reason to attend St Luke’s County Hospital with one of their daughters and were met with such kindness that they agreed that if the opportunity came by to help out others in some way they would do what they could. This generous spirit led them to give a pedigree Charolois heifer by the name of Knockmahon Heather free of charge. On behalf of the Relay Teams, he kept and fed Heather, even bringing her to The Mart to help encourage the sale of raffle tickets, with the family even selling tickets themselves. 

On 21st July the draw took place at the Relay for Life event. Paula Stapleton, member of the Relay Team said, “Approximately €6,000 was raised by the Cillín Hill businesses and staff and the heifer was won by Thomas and Eileen Nallen of Banagher, County Offaly. They requested that they would like to redonate the heifer to be auctioned and raise further funds.” The Comerford family continued to care for Knockmahon Heather until the auction on the 3rd of October.

With great anticipation, auctioneer and Relay Team Member and event emcee George Chandler took to the podium and in front of the huge crowd started the bidding. “The commission charges have been waived for the sale of the generously donated Knockmahon Heather, with every bit raised will be going to Relay for Life,” said George Chandler from the podium. The beautiful pedigree heifer was sold for €2,000, all of which will be donated on top of the €6,000 raised through the sale of raffle tickets. Volunteers were also on hand collecting donations during the action, with farmers charitably contributing a further €492 to the cause.

Christy, Marguerite and their two young daughters, Collette and Cynthia were happy that Knockmahon Heather, who had become a part of their family would be staying in the parish.  John Murphy of Clara is the new proud owner of this Pedigree Charolais heifer! The Cillin Hill Businesses Relay Teams would like to thank everyone involved for their generosity. 





Sunday 14 July 2013

Paint the Town Purple

To all the shop and business owners and businesses of Kilkenny: We're asking you to help us paint the town purple on 20 and 21 July for Relay for Life Kilkenny!

Purple is the colour of HOPE, the colour our survivors wear as they walk the track and the colour we'd love to see all over Kilkenny while our Relayers are walking the track at The Watershed.

We're asking you to put your best purple merchandise in the window that weekend, or put purple balloons or decoration in your windows or somewhere that the public can see it. We want to show our survivors that the people of Kilkenny are behind them 100% and that we stand together to fight back against this terrible disease!

Email us a photo of your display to relaykkmedia@gmail.com or upload it to Facebook or Twitter and use hashtag #relaykk so we can see your displays.

If you would like a poster to put in your shop window to let the community know that you plan to go purple this weekend, just email relaykkmedia@gmail.com and we'll send you one that you can print off and display.

The survivors of Kilkenny will select the winner form all of the entries, which we will announce on Sunday the 21st.



Our Youngest Relayer's Adventures with the Hope Monks

A story from Joanne Brennan, our Survivor Chair this evening:

"I'm a big believer in fate, Que Sera Sera and things happening for reasons, so will just share this little story..... 

Earlier this afternoon my little girl whilst under the watchful eye of her dad (although I reckon he was watching the match more than his child) managed to get into the room where I have all my Relay stuff stored. She found the Jerpoint glass pebbles and monks and must have had a field day throwing them around the room cos she does love throwing things around, and it was only when she came out to me in the garden with a handful that I realised what was going on! 

Anyway, I managed to collect them all up, the lady in Jerpoint told me that they had done a few extra for is for free, so I reckoned that once I had collected and accounted for 260 then that was job done.  

I've just put Elaine to bed and tidied up her toys and found another little monk, only this one didn't have a happy face, it had a sad one like the Jerpoint worry monks, even though it was purple and in the box with all the others.  I've gone through them all and it is the only sad one in there.  It was like she had found that one and purposely taken him out and hid it to prevent a survivor picking it up on Saturday.  

Now a complete coincidence it might be, but I prefer to think of it as a little sign that what we are doing is meant to be done and it will be brilliant. 

G'Night, God Bless!"

We loved that story. At 18 months, Elaine is a true Relayer. Please sponsor our little quality control Relayer on her mission to make only happy monks in this world! She's not only keeping survivors from the sad monks but doing her own sponsored lap on Sunday!!



Sunday 30 June 2013

Survivor Profile: Bernie's Story


Why she's proud to wear purple and be a member of the organising committee!

“I felt good getting involved in our first Relay as I had done a lot of charity work in the past. I didn't realize though how big it really was until I got involved with the committee and experienced my first Relay last year as joint Survivor Chair. It really blew me away. Here was I getting involved to give something back and send gratitude to my family, friends, doctors, and medical staff but what I got in return was - wow - a real emotional, feel good feeling. It was fantastic to see so many survivors there - around 480 and this year we had 458 registered.

Relay is mainly all about survivors and spreading hope for others going through similar experience. They definitely spread hope - so much so that when I contacted them this year to participate they had no hesitation to join. Those who attended last year but had got a diagnosis since had a positive attitude as they remembered last year’s event. Two ladies who were survivors last year came up to me at the end of the event and said they did not want to go home as they knew they would be so lonely. They had such a good time and made so many friends. This for me was what made me realise that it was a success. The money part takes second place to me and the people take first. I was delighted to hear that those who had gone through such worry and treatment could begin to enjoy themselves again.

The Relay track turns into a field of stories for survivors. They can release all their emotions during the 24 hours. They cry, laugh, enjoy life, think of sad times etc. and this is all part of the healing process. They can tell their stories to others whom they never met before and feel good afterwards.

Seeing people do this and feel good about themselves again, gave me so much satisfaction. As a survivor, I see this is what people need to keep them motivated. They forget their own worries once they step onto the track as they are doing this for others. After all, isn't this what life should be about - helping others?

I am really glad I got involved and it always makes me feel good when I see others feeling good."

Saturday 29 June 2013

Survivor Profile: Gavin's Story

Why he proudly wears purple! 

“In July 1998, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 (of 5) Wilms Tumour. It had spread to my lungs, my stomach and was near my hepatic portal vein. The way I was diagnosed was I broke a tooth eating a bowl of cereal. I somehow managed to bite the spoon instead of the cereal, genius, I know. I went to the local dentist, but was too afraid of him to allow him to remove the tooth. Because of this I was sent to the Bons Hospital in Cork to have it removed. The day ward was full so I was admitted, the plan being that I would be in for a few hours then gone again. The doctor admitting me happened to be an intern, so he asked if he could have the practice of doing a routine check. For those of you who don’t know, my mother is a nurse so she told him work away. During the routine admissions check he found a lump on my left kidney. So they put me under and removed my tooth, with plans to take a look at the kidney after I woke up. I woke up once the general anaesthetic wore off, they did a few tests and then the doctors asked to see my mom
I should say at this stage that I was totally asymptomatic; apart from I used to sweat a bit at night.
I was admitted to St. John’s Ward of Crumlin Hospital along with 5 other kids (ill discuss this later), under DR.O’ Meara, and pretty much straight away I started on chemotherapy for a 9 week stint. I was put on Vincristine, Actinomycin D and Doxorubicin. For those of you who haven’t been on chemo, I think the best way of describing it is like being hit by a truck, while losing weight, vomiting, losing all of your hair, having no energy and at the same time your bones feel like they are on fire. You get sores in your mouth. Constantly trying to stay positive all the while it is destroying your body and this was just the first 9 weeks! To help with the delivery of the chemo a Hickman line, affectionately called “Freddie” was inserted into my chest. Chemo takes hours to deliver into the body, which is fine if you are an adult but children get bored very easily. I can’t remember how many times I read Harry Potter! Chemotherapy has thankfully come a long way since the days of nitrogen mustard and now they can tailor treatment to suit the patient.
My hair started to fall out pretty much straight away, despite all the old tricks that everyone tried like getting me to sleep on a silk pillow etc. I personally liked having no hair, as I had ridiculously crazy curly hair but the nausea is indescribable, and the weight loss was ridiculous. I weighed in at two and a half stone the day of the operation, that’s roughly 38lbs! It was very hard being a kid and watching all my school friends playing rugby, soccer etc. and not being able to join in. I remember clearly the hours and hours that I spent in the hospital, I could probably navigate the ward with my eyes closed at that stage. Thankfully there was a playground and, more importantly as far as I was concerned, a TV in the room.

After 9 weeks of chemo came what is called a nephrectomy, which is when they remove the kidney, in my case the left one. The removal of a major organ like a kidney is not a simple undertaking, but thankfully my operation went quite smoothly but I am left with the long term implications of living with one kidney to this day.  In 2011, I finally got the all clear, and that is when I found out about Relay.  As a cancer survivor it can be quite difficult to come to terms with what happened to me, Relay for Life, I found, was this amazing way of coming to terms with what happened. At Relay you get a chance to celebrate being a survivor, you get a safe quiet place to grieve for those lost and a place to help others reduce their risk of cancer.

Wearing the purple survivors t-shirt is one of the most powerful things I have ever done, and it never gets any less powerful no matter how many times I do it. At Relay you can be a beacon of hope for those who have just been diagnosed, for those who are on a longer journey, and to their family and friends. By wearing the purple t-shirt, and identifying yourself as a survivor, you might help someone to open up about their experiences, maybe for the first time. At Relay, a survivor is anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer, whether 5 minutes or 50 years ago, just as long as they define themselves as a survivor.

This is just another reason why I Relay. Why will YOU Relay on 20-21 July?

To register as a survivor to join us and walk the first lap of the first ever Survivors' Lap at Relay for Life Kilkenny, contact Joanne Brennan, Survivors' Chair at joanne@homephysio.ie 


Saturday 15 June 2013

TEAM LINE UP!


Relay for Life Kilkenny is pleased to announce that our team line up is getting longer by the day! We've still a whole bunch waiting to be officially registered but WHAT AN INCREDIBLE START TO OUR FIRST RELAY!

Our teams now include:

  1. Bridgid's Angels: Team Captain Mary Pierce
  2. Bridgid's Angels 2: Team Co-Captain Kate Doyle
  3. BBunch: Team Captain Sinead Bradley
  4. Walking Warriors: Team Captain Ann O'Connell Kelly
  5. Cool Runnings: Team Captain Andrea Byrne
  6. Another Bad Idea: Team Captain Eoin Ryan
  7. Misfits (Mill FRC): Team Captain Grainne Ryan
  8. Loreto Secondary 1: Team Captain Amy Mc Gourty
  9. Loreto Secondary 2 Team Captain Aoife Prendregast
  10. Loreto Secondary The TY Champs: Team Captain Jenna Sherwin
  11. Loreto Secondary The Wibbly Wobbly Wonders: Team Captain Shannon Rowe
  12. Team FBD: Team Captain Paula Stapleton
  13. Team State Street: Team Captain Mags Whitely
  14. Team Ballyraggat: Team Captain Anne O'Shea
  15. The Hairy Doctors: Team Captain Nicola Shortall
  16. Team Fit4Life Kilkenny - Team Captain Irene Henebry
  17. Kilkenny Cheetahs - Team Captain Pat Millay
  18. Curves 1: Team Captain Enya Kennedy
  19. Curves 2: Team Captain Andrea Ryan




Thursday 13 June 2013

Why I Relay... Joanne Brennan

Our Survivor Chair, Joanne Brennan recently put pen to paper, or rather fingers to keyboard, to tell us why she joined Relay for Life Kilkenny. 

A very touching story about her time at The Christie, ending with: 

"Why do I Relay? Well I Relay to say ‘Thank You’.  Thank You to each and every single person that I have had the privilege to work with and help along their cancer journey for allowing me to join them on their journey and learn so much, experience so much and become not just a better physio, but a better person too!"

Check out the full blog post at Cancer Physio: Thinking and Linking

Friday 17 May 2013

Thank you MacDonagh Junction!


THANK YOU! 

We had a great night out! In fact, an ultimate girls night out! 

Thank you so much to the wonderful people at MacDonagh Junction, the shops and services who donated generous prizes to the raffle, and all the women who donated money! 

We're pleased to say we raised €750 for Relay for Life Kilkenny!

Tuesday 23 April 2013

THANK YOU HADDENHAM HEALTHCARE!

It was lovely to open the post today and find a cheque and a corporate sponsorship from Haddenham Healthcare in the UK.

They have sponsored us at the Platinum Level! Without support such as this, we'd never be able to put off an event of this size and for this, Haddenham Healthcare, we thank you.

Thank you so much Haddenham Healthcare!


Saturday 13 April 2013

Why I Relay... Veronica McCauliffe

Our Team Recruitment Chair posted this onto our Facebook page today, but it was such a thoughtful post that I wanted to share it here as well.

"Today I read a story unrelated to cancer but the tone and sentiment resonated with me. There was a dad in the US who’s 18 month old daughter died in a tragic car accident in his own drive way. He described the feeling as if someone had cut his toes off and all the life in his body ran out of him into a pool by his feet. I thought this is probably how it feels for someone who is told “you have cancer”. This feeling of hopelessness. So even though death causes some of us to lose hope once there is life each cancer survivor and each cancer patient must never have this feeling. So now I have added a new reason to Why I Relay. I Relay and will Relay in Kilkenny so that one day there is no further need for anyone to have this feeling. I will Relay for HOPE because we all need to carry a little bit of HOPE in our hearts." - Veronica

Tuesday 9 April 2013

THANK YOU THE WATERSHED!



We are delighted to announce that The Watershed, in Kilkenny has come on board as our first Corporate Sponsor. Even more delighted to announce that they are a Platinum Sponsor! Without the support of The Watershed and the incredible employees who have gone above and beyond the call of duty, we'd not have such an incredible facility for our first Relay.

Thank you The Watershed

Friday 5 April 2013

April's Newsletter

Would you like to sign up for our mailing list? If so, you'll receive our monthly newsletters and updates. :o)

Also included with this newsletter is a Corporate Sponsorship Appeal letter. If you would like a copy of the newsletter, please email relaykkmedia@gmail.com and we'll send it along to you! 




Community Partnership Appeal


Sponsorship Appeal
Relay for Life is coming to Kilkenny for the first time ever in 2013 and we would like to invite your business to be part of this wonderful community event!
The Irish Cancer Society’s Relay for Life is an event that brings communities together to celebrate local cancer survivors, remember those who have passed away, and fight back against cancer by raising vital funds for research projects and community services. It is a unique, empowering and fun event in which everyone can participate and make a real difference for people living with cancer right now, and those who may be diagnosed in the future. A Survivors’ Lap of Honour opens every Relay for Life event worldwide, celebrating those who have fought the disease. At dusk, participants and community members pause to remember those who lost their battle in a very special Candle of Hope Ceremony. The Candle of Hope luminaries line the track all night and act as a reminder to participants of the courageous men, women and children who have battled cancer.
This is a large event, which takes place over 24 hours and involves hundreds of participants, guests and volunteers. Relay for Life Kilkenny is being planned by a volunteer organising committee, donating their experience, expertise and enthusiasm to help make this event a success. However, along with the thousands of volunteer hours, donations of goods and services will be essential. Community support and assistance is critical for the success of this great event!
We are offering local businesses the opportunity to become a partner with Relay for Life Kilkenny. We would love to know if your business would like to sponsor this event, either through donations in kind or financial contributions. It’s only through generous sponsorship that we’ll be able to host events such as a special Survivors’ Dinner and a Carers’ Tea as well as offset operational costs of the event. 
Please contact us and we'll send along a Sponsorship Form. 
Yours in the Relay Spirit,
Josephine Kelly, Chairperson
Email:              relayforlifekilkenny@gmail.com
Facebook:        RelayforLifeKilkenny
Twitter:            @relayforlkfekk
Blog:                www.relayforlifekk.blogspot.ie





Monday 4 February 2013

February's Newsletter

Also included with this newsletter is a Team Registration Pack. If you would like a copy of the newsletter, please email relaykkmedia@gmail.com and we'll send it along to you! 



How to Register Your Team with mycharity.ie



On the right hand side of the page you’ll see Quick Links. Click List of Charities.


Select Irish Cancer Society

On the left hand side of the page, you’ll see Charity Info. Click on List of Events

Scroll down to 20-7-2013 and you’ll see Relay for Life Kilkenny. Click on Create Your Page.


It will then ask you how long you want to leave the page active, select 1 month.

From there, you’ll have to create an account and follow the instructions in setting up your fundraising page.

Once it’s set up, you can send it to family, friends and co-workers to ask them to support your Relay Team! 

Tuesday 29 January 2013

Thank you InfoTV and St Canice's Credit Union!


Do these look familiar? We'd like to take a moment to thank InfoTV and Canice's Credit Union who kindly offered to promote Relay for Life Kilkenny during the Christmas season. You may have seen this adverts while waiting in the queue leading up to the holidays - we hope they inspired the Relay spirit in a few of their customers!