The public has been urged to give what they can this Daffodil Day in support of crucial services provided by the Irish Cancer Society to patients and their families in Mayo.
The popular annual fundraiser returns to the streets on Friday March 25, and among those encouraging support for the event is veteran Ballina-based fundraiser, Mary Martin, who has raised an incredible €800,000 in support of vital cancer services and research across five different decades since first starting to fundraise in the 1980s.
A survivor of cancer herself, Mary’s motivation and dedication to fundraising also stems from the sad loss of her husband Kevin to cancer in 2002, and her stall selling items in support of the Irish Cancer Society is now a familiar sight in the town every March.
Mary said: "Cancer is so prevalent, so it’s brilliant to be able to do anything we can to help people. The people of Mayo are always very generous, and I will be doing this for as long as I can. We’ve been absolutely flying so far this year.
"I’m very passionate and enthusiastic about Daffodil Day. All the volunteers are the same, they’re a brilliant group of people and you make lots of friends in doing it. I think it’s lovely for people to get involved, and many people who do get involved have been touched by cancer either themselves, or through family or friends."
On top of supporting life-changing cancer research, the Irish Cancer Society provides vital services to patients and their families in Mayo each year, including supporting over 250 counselling sessions, more than 400 nights of in-home Night Nursing for patients in their final days, and nearly 200 Volunteer Driving lifts to get patients safely to and from their hospital appointments in 2021.
As Daffodil Day returns to the streets of Ireland for the first time since 2019 on March 25, the Irish Cancer Society is calling on the public to take part in any way they can to show solidarity and support for anyone affected by cancer.
Every day cancer takes so much from so many families and Daffodil Day is a chance to come together and take something back, giving hope and raising funds so that one day cancer will take no more.
People are being asked to take part and take back from cancer in any way they can this Daffodil Day. As well as donating at Cancer.ie and volunteering to help fundraise, they can purchase items from the Daffodil Day online shop and take part in a steps challenge. For more information about Daffodil Day visit www.Cancer.ie/DaffodilDay
