Relay for Life supporters at the launch of the Donegal Relay For Life 2016. Photo Clive Wasson
More than €200,000 was spent in Donegal last year as a result of the Relay for Life initiative which goes to help fund vital Irish Cancer Society services here.
Addressing the launch last night of the 2016 Relay, which will be staged over the weekend of June 4th and 5th, chairperson, Robert O’Connor, said the past few days had been tough on the people involved due to adverse claims on social media in relation to where the money raised was spent.
“You will hear that the money goes up to Dublin in a bus and does not come back to this county but I can tell you that 213,202 euro was spent here in Donegal last year.”
Insisting that his committee and those working on behalf of Relay for Life would “not give into intimidation”, the chairperson declared:
“Contrary to remarks on Facebook, we do support the people of Donegal and that has been clearly shown over the past five years since we staged our first Relay.”
The Relay for Life event was not just about raising money but was also, he said, geared to education and awareness.
Two of the county’s Secondary schools, the Loreto in Letterkenny, and Mulroy College in Milford, have got involved in helping to promote awareness through student initiatives and on Thursday of this week, representatives of the Relay for Life committee will meet with Principals from fifteen other secondary schools throughout the county to encourage them to introduce this initiative and get the student body involved.
The Survivors Choir performing at the launch of the Donegal Relay For Life 2016. Photo Clive Wasson
