Derry kick-off this Saturday for Rory Best’s final 'Miles to Mayo' charity walk

Pearce and Ellen Kelly, directors at Kelly’s Supermarkets headquartered in Maghera, are among 21 business leaders joining Ireland and Ulster Rugby legend Rory Best for Rory’s Miles 2 Mayo: the Trilogy - the nine-day, 235-mile walking challenge around the island of Ireland for Cancer Fund for Children ─ starting this Saturday, Septemebr 12 from Derry.

Cancer Fund for Children is an all-island charity that provides emotional, social and therapeutic support to children, young people and families impacted by cancer.

Rory’s Miles 2 Mayo ─ the Trilogy is the final part of a series of three physical fundraising challenges led by Rory Best for Cancer Fund for Children, which have raised over £2 million to date.

Rory’s Miles to Mayo ─ the Trilogy begins this Saturday, September 12 in Derry with a special breakfast event at the Ebrington Hotel sponsored by Alchemy Technology Services.

Rory’s Miles to Mayo is supported by headline sponsor Arachas Corporate Brokers, with 16 offices across Ireland, which has raised funds for Cancer Fund for Children across all of the Rory’s Miles to Mayo challenges since 2021. Kingsbridge Private Hospital Group is on board as a supporting sponsor and has also been committed to this challenge since its inception.

The day-one route this Saturday will travel from Derry to Limavady. Over the subsequent eight days, the walkers will travel from Bangor to Belfast, through Dublin, Kildare, Carlow, Cork, Limerick and Galway before finishing on Sunday, September 20 in Cong, Co Mayo.

Cong is the location of Cancer Fund for Children’s second Daisy Lodge therapeutic short break centre for children and families impacted by a cancer diagnosis, currently nearing completion and due to open in 2027.

The fundraising target for Rory’s Miles 2 Mayo ─ the Trilogy is around £1.2 million, which will go towards equipping Daisy Lodge in Cong, and help get it ready for opening its doors next year to enable Cancer Fund for Children to support more children and families.

Rory Best’s latest challenge will take him full circle - his inaugural Rory’s Miles 2 Mayo in 2021 saw him walk from Cancer Fund for Children’s first Daisy Lodge in Newcastle, Co. Down to Cong, Co Mayo, where he broke ground at the site of the second Daisy Lodge. In 2023, a second Rory’s Miles to Mayo challenge saw him walk from Dublin’s Aviva Stadium to Cong. This time, Rory will get to see Daisy Lodge in Cong at near completion.

Speaking ahead of his biggest challenge yet, Rory Best, said: “It’s been an honour to lead this series of physical fundraising challenges in support of the amazing work of Cancer Fund for Children and I’m excited to be walking through Derry during the third and final challenge, with an incredible team of business leaders and surrounded by a passionate crew of supporters.

“Though it will be a strenuous undertaking, the motivation of supporting a charity doing such vital work for families and children facing the heartbreaking realities of a cancer diagnosis will drive us towards the finish line in Cong, Co Mayo. It will be emotional and very rewarding to see how work is nearing completion on the second Daisy Lodge to help more children and families who are going through very tough times.”

CEO of Cancer Fund for Children Phil Alexander said: “Across the last five years, Rory Best has created a legacy of fundraising which has completely blown us away. From taking on his own Miles to Mayo challenges, to inspiring countless other campaigns, including the 26 Mountains to Mayo challenge last year which raised £1.5m in aid of our services. The funds raised through these efforts have allowed us to provide vital support to children, young people and families impacted by cancer across the island of Ireland, in hospital, at home and at our therapeutic short break centre Daisy Lodge.

“As Cancer Fund for Children continues to expand, our investment in Daisy Lodge Cong demonstrates the growing need for our services as well as our commitment to supporting children and families affected by the extremely harsh realities of a cancer diagnosis across the island.”

Speaking about their backing of the challenge, CEO of headline sponsor Arachas Corporate Brokers, Joey Wynne, said: “Arachas is proud to once again support Rory’s Miles to Mayo, having been a core partner since the beginning, and we are delighted to play our part in helping Cancer Fund for Children, a charity that has grown close to the hearts of Arachas staff. The walk will pass through the locations of several of our offices across Ireland, and we believe that supporting the communities in which we live and work is an important part of who we are as a business. We hope our colleagues, customers and the wider public in Derry-Londonderry and across the island will get behind the challenge and help make this year’s fundraising effort a huge success.”

Find out more about this charity challenge and how you can get behind Rory Best and the participants by visiting https://rorysmiles2mayo.cancerfundforchildren.com/.