Croi has been named as Connacht Rugby's charity partner for the season.
The two organisations will work together to encourage healthy and active lifestyles among men and women of all ages in the West of Ireland, as well as highlighting the services available to people in Connacht and across the country.
Connacht Rugby's head of commercial and marketing Philip Patterson says joining forces with Croí is the "perfect charity collaboration".
"We support thousands of rugby players in the five counties of Connacht and, similar to Croí, it’s our mission to promote an active lifestyle by getting as many people as active as possible through rugby.
"We look forward to working with Croí in the year ahead to achieve both those goals. We’d also encourage everyone to get involved with the numerous activities Croí have planned in the weeks and months ahead, and to check both the Connacht Rugby and Croí websites for more information."
Established in 1985, Croí is a registered Irish Heart and Stroke Charity which leads the fight against heart disease and stroke, with a particular focus on serving and supporting communities across the West of Ireland.
Mark O'Donnell, Croí's head of foundation and chief operations officer, says the two organisations have shared purposes and values.
"We're absolutely delighted to be the Official Charity Partner for Connacht Rugby for the upcoming season. While elements of our work now have a national focus, our home is Connacht and the footprint of our many regional activities very much aligns with the province.
"There's been great commitment, energy and enthusiasm from both teams in forming the partnership and we are really looking forward to a great year ahead with many exciting initiatives planned."
Croí is based in the Croí Heart & Stroke Centre, Galway, which was opened in 2012, and this week's announcement comes during World Heart Month, with a number of events planned over the coming weeks.
Croí is offering a free stethoscope check-in tomorrow in Galway, while Croí's activities for World Heart Month culminate in Heartfest, a free community event In Croí House, on Thursday September 28, which Connacht Rugby will be supporting.
Preparations are also well underway for the annual Croí Night Run, which takes place in Salthill on Friday 13th October, with registration now open at www.croi.ie/nightrun
For full details about the partnership and upcoming events, head to www.connachtrugby.ie/croi and www.croi.ie
