Derry to light up in red for Chest Heart & Stroke

Leading local health charity Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS) will be lighting up Derry red this February to mark National Heart Month and the charity’s annual Red Dress Fun Run.

The Red Dress Fun Run, supported by MACE and Musgrave Marketplace, is the charity’s five kilometre run or walk event taking place at Stormont Estate, Belfast, which aims to raise funds and awareness for heart illness.

The event coincides with National Heart Month in February, when NICHS will be encouraging people to think about their cardiovascular health and the steps they can take towards a healthier, stronger heart, such as eating healthily and getting active.

Derry City and Strabane Council will show their support for the charity by lighting up several landmark buildings in red, NICHS’s branded colour, on 1st February.

The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane, councillor Patricia Logue, said: “I am pleased that the Council is supporting Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke by lighting up its Civic buildings red.

“Sadly, four people in Northern Ireland die every day from heart disease, and coronary heart disease is the biggest single cause of premature deaths in the under 75s.

“I would encourage you all to take part in the Red Dress Fun Run event taking place during National Heart Month. It is so important that as a community we raise support and awareness to help reduce these staggering figures.”

Last year the charity hosted their biggest and most successful Red Dress Fun Run to date, raising a staggering £73,000 to help combat heart illness.

Christine Duncan, Events and Marketing Manager at NICHS, is urging the public to sign up to the event saying; “We are so grateful for the support of Mayor Councillor Patricia Logue as we look forward to this year’s Red Dress Fun Run.

Today, there are as many as 470,000 people living with a chest, heart, or stroke condition in Northern Ireland - many of these people will live in the Derry City and Strabane area. Please support us by running, walking, dancing, skipping or wheeling 5K with us on Sunday 25th February at 11am at Stormont Estate, or, if you can’t make the live event, you can do 5K your way any day, or days, in February. Everyone is welcome to come along and join in the fun - even the family dog!”

The 2024 event is being supported once again by the charity’s long term corporate partners, MACE and Musgrave MarketPlace. Diane Anthony from Musgrave says: “MACE and Musgrave MarketPlace are both backing NICHS’s call for people to dress up in red and wear their heart on their sleeve at this year’s event, which is set to be fantastic.

“Whether you’re taking part in memory of someone you have lost to heart disease, celebrating someone who is living with a heart condition, or to prevent heart disease happening to someone in the future – sign up and join us to support this worthy cause!”

Primary school pupils are also invited to join in by hosting their own fun run anytime this February.

Each school that takes part will receive a certificate of thanks to show how much they raised and there is an opportunity to win some fantastic prizes.

If you have been inspired to step up to the challenge, you can sign up to the Red Dress Fun Run at www.nichs.org.uk/RedDressFunRun. You can find out more about getting your primary school involved at nichs.org.uk/PSRedDressFunRun.