Three leading Irish charities have come together to raise vital funds in support of cancer research and support services.
Breast Cancer Ireland, Breakthrough Cancer Research, and the Marie Keating Foundation have joined forces for the first time ahead of World Cancer Day (Sunday 4th February).
Face Up To Cancer is a unique fundraising campaign, aiming to engage thousands of people across Ireland.
It aims to put a face to cancer through a series of portraits and bring the country together through the simple act of ‘donating a selfie’.
Those involved will upload their selfies which will form part of nine unique facial mosaics made entirely of the thousands of photos submitted.
The mosaics will be made to form a portrait of a real person who has experienced a cancer diagnosis, or are working to find new treatments for the disease.
In Ireland almost 42,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed each year, which means that sadly one person is diagnosed with cancer every 15 minutes.
As a country we lose, on average, 9874 people each year to cancer – an average of one person every hour.
The monies raised will be used to help save the lives of the 1 in 2 Irish people who will be diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime.
Take Part
Participation is easy. Simply go to www.faceuptocancer.ie, upload your selfie, then choose your donation amount.
Alternatively, you can pick a photo of a loved one to get involved.
Share your selfie across your social channels to show your support using #FaceUpToCancer and #DonateASelfieSaveLives.
For more information and to stay updated on the campaign, follow the Face Up To Cancer social media channels on Instagram, and Facebook.
Three Leading Charities
Breast Cancer Ireland
Breast Cancer Ireland is a registered charity (CHY 19926) established to raise significant funding to support pioneering research programmes nationally as well as to promote education & awareness on the importance of good breast health amongst people of all ages.
Breast Cancer Ireland seeks, through its ongoing, world-class research efforts, to transform breast cancer into a disease that can be either cured or managed as an illness long-term (in the case of invasive cancers).
Funds raised from the Face Up To Cancer fundraising campaign will be channelled into research into metastatic disease progression and also into national education and awareness programmes.
For more information see www.breastcancerireland.com
Breakthrough Cancer Research
Breakthrough Cancer Research (Breakthrough) is an Irish cancer charity focused on research and
education and is one of the largest funders of cancer research in Ireland.
Breakthrough invest in research to respond to the unmet needs of people with cancer and are particularly focused on
cancers that are hard to treat or have a poor prognosis - Brain, Oesophageal, Pancreatic, Stomach,
Ovarian, Liver and Lung cancer.
These seven cancers are causing almost 50% of cancer deaths in Ireland.
The mission of Breakthrough Cancer Research is to make more survivors of cancer through research.
Breakthrough facilitates excellence in research by bringing scientists and clinicians together to collaborate with the aim of discovering and developing new, better, kinder, smarter treatments and diagnostics for people with cancer, and are currently supporting over 160 researchers across the island of Ireland.
For more information see www.breakthroughcancerresearch.ie
The Marie Keating Foundation
Founded in 1998 by the Keating family after their mother Marie died from breast cancer at the age of 51, the Marie Keating Foundation is now one of Ireland’s leading cancer charities supporting men and women throughout Ireland at every step of a cancer journey.
The Foundation provides a range of community awareness and education programmes educating the public on signs and symptoms of all common cancers and how to reduce their risk.
The Foundation also runs a range of support services to assist cancer patients throughout their treatment and runs survivorship programmes and support groups for those living with or beyond cancer.
For more information see www.mariekeating.ie
