Denis O’Connor Charity Walking Festival launched

Sixth annual event aims to help raise €125,000 for Irish Cancer Society Daffodil Centre in Mater Hospital

The sixth annual Denis O’Connor Walking Festival which aims to help raise €125,000 for the Irish Cancer Society Daffodil Centre in the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital was launched in Dublin today. The walk, now in its sixth year, is organised in memory of the late Denis O’Connor, former managing partner of KPMG, who died from cancer in 2006. Since its establishment in 2007, the event has raised €250,000 which has benefited a range of charitable organisations. This year’s event, which continues to be organised by staff at KMPG, will take place in Howth on Saturday, 8th September, 2012. Staff at the firm together with alumni, family and friends will aim to help raise €125,000 to sponsor the building of a new Irish Cancer Society Daffodil Centre at the Mater Hospital.  Daffodil Centres are an extension of the Irish Cancer Society’s existing cancer information service. They are run in partnership with hospitals located in the public foyers and managed by specialist cancer nurses and trained volunteers and currently help over 10,000 patients annually.  They deliver a hugely important service, providing information, advice and support to anyone affected by or concerned about the disease. They also give huge support to those diagnosed with cancer, even accompanying patients to appointments and treatment sessions.   The purpose of today’s launch is to raise awareness of the important work of the Daffodil Centres throughout the country and encourage donations to the Irish Cancer Society to support their ongoing work. No donation or fundraising event is too small from coffee mornings and cake sales to sponsored walks, every fundraising event has the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those affected by cancer.  Staff at KPMG are already getting started with various fundraising efforts ranging from extreme challenges to cake sales and a Euro 2012 sweepstake and are well on the way to reaching their €125,000 target by raising over €30,000 so far. Forty staff from KPMG’s Cork office recently climbed Carrantuohill and later this month a group from the Dublin office will climb Mount Kilimanjaro as part of the range of fundraising activities.   Speaking at the launch Terence O’Rourke, Managing Partner of KPMG said: “We all have, at some stage of our lives, either been directly or indirectly affected by cancer and know the devastating impact it can have. The Irish Cancer Society provides such great support to patients, their families and friends at a time when help is most needed. In particular Daffodil Centres offer a crucial service, providing easy access to trusted and expert information for those with cancer and their family and friends.  We welcome the opportunity to work with the Irish Cancer Society and feel that our support is a fitting tribute to our former colleague Denis O’Connor who died of cancer in 2006.”       Joan Kelly, Nursing Services Manager at the Irish Cancer Society added, “Thanks to KPMG, we are delighted to be associated with this event which will make a big difference to the many thousands of people and their families affected by cancer through the raising of vital funds.”