Snubbed by three breast cancer organisations, an Irish glamour model will now be raising money for Mayo-based breast cancer organisation, Rock Chicks, when she takes part in a television charity event next month.
The model came to the arrangement after talking to co-founder of Rock Chicks, Louise Killeen, on Your Call with Brenda Power on Newstalk 106-108 fm.
Claire, who is guaranteed to raise a minimum of €5,000 for charity from her participation in an RTÉ television show, Failte Towers, had been reproached by three breast cancer charities. They said it would be “wrong” for them to accept any money due to the nature of her modelling.
Asked if she could understand how breast cancer sufferers might be sensitive about the nature of her modelling, Claire, whose mother and grandmother had breast cancer, said: “I live here with my mother. I see her, she gets up in the morning, the prosthesis, the bras, trying to get clothes that fit. Every time she goes outside, every time she sees another woman, every time she sees swimsuits, everything reminds her of it. Women who have had breast cancer, mastectomies, live with it on a daily basis. This is why I want the money that I raise to go to help these people.”
Lillian McGovern, CEO of the Marie Keating Foundation, one of the charities that had declined the model’s offer, had previously explained their reasoning: “I just think it would be wrong for Claire to do it, raising money for our organisation, in the work that we do. I am simply saying there would be a sensitivity in the fit. We could be very mercenary and say we will take any money from anybody who will raise it for us, but there has to be a stand taken around certain issues.”
Asked if she was offended at having her offers of charity rejected, Claire said: “I don’t take this personally at all and would encourage everybody to continue to support these breast cancer charities. At the end of the day, the people they are thinking of are the breast cancer sufferers.”
Rock Chicks is a voluntary group based in Castlebar, Co Mayo who help breast cancer survivors regain normality in their lives through various mental and physical activities.
