The Longest Day Challenge will take place on June 18, starting and finishing at Breaffy House Hotel by a group fundraising for the Irish Cancer Society. This is a non-competitive challenge event where a local group has taken on the challenge to cycle to and climb the three mountains of Mayo – Mweelrea 815M, Nephin 805M and Croagh Patrick 765M. The cycle distance is approximately 150kms between the three peaks and they hope to finish this in just under 14 hours. The group intend to start their Longest Day Challenge at 5.30am and return to Breaffy House Hotel, before the Mayo and Galway Connacht Championship match finishes that evening.
The challengers have been training hard over the last eight weeks and are using this event to raise vital funds for the Irish Cancer Society. The group has all set up a just giving page, you can support them by searching for the Longest Day Challenge and donating on www.justgiving.ie The group consist of Kevin Quinn, Robert Coyne, John Jennings, Pat Staunton, Vincent Flangan, David Hanahoe, Noel Brady, Emer McGrath, Rosemary Walsh, PJ Hall, Greg Barry, John Geraghty and Edel Gallagher.
Each in the group has different reasons for taking on this challenge and with 100 people a day hearing the words you have cancer, support is needed more than ever before. The Irish Cancer Society is the national cancer charity and provides a range of services to cancer patients. In Mayo alone last year the society’s night nurses provided 444 nights of care to 97 patients in Mayo. Volunteer drivers facilitated 42 journeys for 11 cancer patients in Mayo in 2015. In 2015, there were 83 calls from Mayo to the National Cancer Helpline 1800 200 700. The Irish Cancer Society has two local affiliated Cancer Support Centres in Mayo. Cara Iorrais Cancer Support Centre and Mayo Cancer Support Association. The group would love to have friends of The Longest Day Challenge join them for the final climb at Croagh Patrick to help them through the last leg of the journey. The details will be on Facebook closer to the time. Please follow them on the Longest Day Challenge Facebook page for all their info.
The group greatly appreciates the kind support from The Bayleaf restaurant in Turlough for funding their jerseys, and also the donations made by Unit 7 men’s clothing in Castlebar, and Staunton’s Pharmacy’s Castlebar.
