Pink-powered fundraising will see large-scale festive events

A Tallaght woman will be a Patient Supporter for this year’s Breast Cancer Ireland Very Pink Run.

Back for another year of pink-powered fundraising, this unique and family focussed, festival style event, will see large-scale live events take place across Dublin, Cork and Kilkenny, September 6-14, all in support of groundbreaking breast cancer research and nationwide awareness and education programmes.

Jean Cogavin is a Patient Supporter for this year’s run. The Tallaght woman is cancer-free for the past eight years, after she first discovered a lump in her breast in 2017.

“The first doctor who examined me said, no nothing there. The second doctor said the same. I had to insist that I have a mammogram,” she said.

After the mammogram and an ultrasound and biopsy, Jean was told she had a stage two invasive ductal carcinoma and would need surgery.

Samples of her lump were sent for testing, and Jean was told she should “prepare for chemotherapy and radiotherapy”.

“I cut my hair short; I bought caps and scarves. Then in August the news came that I would only need twenty sessions of radiotherapy and tamoxifen for ten years.

“Well, I skipped out of the oncology department that day,” she said.

“It meant the holiday I had booked way back in January to Las Vegas could go ahead, having something to live for and look forward to makes the difference.”

Since its inception, the Very Pink Run has grown into a truly global movement, with over 97,000 participants across 40 countries, raising a phenomenal €7.3 million to date. This year, the pink wave is set to sweep across Dublin on Saturday, September 6, with thousands more expected to lace up for one (or more!) of the events.

Participants can take part by running, jogging or walking, in one of three live large-scale physical events.

The funds raised through the event this year will be channelled into two targeted areas by Breast Cancer Ireland: continued investment into research into metastatic disease progression to the brain and driving progression and speed of scientific discovery from research settings into international clinical trial.

“Each and every participant is playing a role in helping us to move the dial on research, awareness, novel treatments and therapies – and ultimately – survival of the 3,700 people diagnosed in Ireland each year,” Aisling Hurley, CEO of Breast Cancer Ireland said.

“I strongly believe that research and awareness are what will lead to zero deaths from breast cancer.”

Participation in the Very Pink Run event is super easy – simply register to take part at Verypinkrun.