Celtic Water are lending their support to this year’s RunDonegal Women’s 5K by donating 1,000 bottles of water to the event.
Organisers of the annual fundraiser, which will start and finish at the Finn Valley Centre in Stranorlar, are aiming to attract an entry of 1,000. This year’s event will be get underway at 11 am on Sunday, March 31st, with the proceeds going to the Brid Carr Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.
Announcing details of the sponsorship deal in the Finn Valley Centre, Patsy McGonagle of Finn Valley AC said the race was first held in Letterkenny on a wet Sunday morning in 1998.
“It was moved to here some years ago. Last year the race was held in memory of the late Lisa McGranaghan and the money raised went to the Donegal Hospice. We have targeted 1,000 this time and the kind sponsorship from Celtic Water is a big help to us. We’re delighted to be associated with a water company and I know Celtic Water is very proactive in their business on Donegal. We are very grateful for their decision to come on board and sponsor the water for the day,” Patsy commented.
“Brid Carr died from ovarian cancer. She worked in London as a nurse. She had two tests and nothing shown. She was then diagnosed with stage three and died. This year’s race will be held once again in her memory,” he added.
Noting that 266 women die in Ireland each year from ovarian cancer, Patsy added: “That’s 266 families that are whacked emotionally and every other way. As the saying goes ‘none of us know’.”
Referring to the late Brid’s husband, Seamus Carr, from Glencolmcille, Patsy said it’s 40 years since he won the county championship with his native Naomh Columba.
“Seamus is involved very much in Tir Chonaill Gaels over in London. So it’s good for Seamus to know that the people back in his home county are thinking about him and his family and are doing their bit to support them. Seamus has been very supportive to so many people who have gone across to London from Donegal down the years. So this is a chance for that support to be returned now to Seamus and the Carr family.”
Giving the background to the RunDonegal Women’s 5K, race director, Grace Boyle, said the event was established to promote women in sport.
“When myself and Bridgeen Doherty started running 5Ks in the 90’s, very few women were doing them. So we set up a women’s only race to encourage women to get active and we managed to build it up slowly over the years. Moving the race to Finn Valley in recent years has helped the race a lot,” Grace said.
“We always concentrate on women’s charities. At the end of the day it’s about participation, it’s about awareness, it’s about families coming together on the day and it’s about women getting out with their children and their buggies,” she added.
“When I was chatting to Martin McHugh about it recently, he put something into my head – 1,000 women, €10 per head, €10,000 to the charity and that’s what we are aiming for. Every single cent that comes in will go to the charity and it’s only through the generous sponsorship from the likes of Celtic Water that is enabling us to do that.”
Padraig McEnaneny, CEO of Celtic Water, said he was delighted to be involved with the long established event.
“We sell a lot of Celtic Pure Water in Donegal and a lot of customers have supported us down through the years. We support Carrickmacross Cancer Society every year in Monaghan. We link up with them for sponsored walks and donate €2,500 from the company every year. Cancer is a disease that affects so many people in different ways. At Celtic Water we do our best to get involved in the charity end and help out in whatever way we can.”
Martin McHugh of MCM Brands said the sponsorship deal with Celtic Water would be for three years.
“The National Football League finishes the weekend before the RunDonegal Women’s 5K, so we are hoping as many of the Donegal players will be on hand at the finish line to hand out the water. They’ll be happy to do that,” he added.
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