Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
RUNNING TOTAL FOR CHARITY
Marathon boosts cancer research
THE Mash Direct Belfast City Marathon’s partnership with Cancer Focus NI has raised £245,000, it was announced yesterday.
The total will make a significant impact on a unique research project the charity is funding at Queens University, Belfast.
It aims to determine how immunotherapy can more successfully treat oesophageal and pancreatic cancers.
The partnership success has helped highlight the charity’s ongoing work.
Belfast City Marathon’s executive manager Claire O’neill said: “We’re so proud of each and every participant that ran, wheeled, or walked to raise vital funds for Cancer Focus NI through the Mash Direct Belfast City Marathon events and proved that we are #strongertogether.
“All the money raised will stay in Northern Ireland and will fund pioneering research looking at the treatment of oesophageal and pancreatic cancer – two cancers which at present have very low survival rates. Recently, the Belfast City Marathon team had the honour of visiting the research lab to learn more about the research that the partnership has been funding and meet the team who are making a huge difference to the lives of cancer patients.
“We cannot thank our participants enough for allowing us to support this vital work, happening right here in Northern Ireland.”
Explaining the impact the relationship has had on cancer research, Dr
Richard Turkington, Clinical Reader at Queen’s University Belfast said: “Oesophageal cancer is too often detected late and is resistant to treatment.
“With support from everyone who participated in the Belfast City Marathon and raised money for Cancer Focus NI, we have been working to diagnose oesophageal cancer at an early stage before it has spread and to discover new ways to treat this disease.”
Cancer Focus NI chief Richard Spratt hailed the last three years of affiliation and said: “We can’t thank them enough for choosing us as their charity partner.”