Bantry Bay Run ‘free entry' offer to benefit Arc cancer support house

THE Bantry Bay Run race organisers have offered free entry fees to the first 20 participants to sign up for this year’s event if they use it to fundraise for a local charity.

The organisers say the offer it to benefit the work carried out at the West Cork centre of the Cork Arc Cancer Support House.

All those interested in taking part should visit Cork Arc’s website at www.corkcancersupport.ie to sign up for their sponsor pack. 

Participants can then start training for the run and fundraising for Cork Arc’s West Cork centre, which was opened with the assistance of the Bantry Hospice in 2015.

Whether participants run the half marathon route between Bantry and Glengarriff or take their ease on the 10k scenic route, the Bantry Bay Run is a great opportunity to get involved in one of West Cork’s best-loved charity fun runs and support the new centre for cancer patients and their families in West Cork.

The event is also sponsored by the Maritime Hotel, and the team in the hotel have helped hundreds of running and walking enthusiasts and local families raise over €8,000 for the Bantry Hospice and local and national charities over the last two years. 

Last year, with the assistance of Bantry Hospice, Cork Arc opened a cancer support centre at The Bungalow in Gories, near Bantry, which is open each Tuesday, 10am-4pm.  

For many years people from West Cork have been travelling to Cork for cancer support services and having this new centre in West Cork is helping to avoid these long journeys. The centre serves the needs of the local community, as well as the wider regions of West Cork from Clonakilty, Dunmanway, Skibbereen, Sheep’s Head, Mizen and Beara Peninsulas and their islands, and beyond to Kenmare, South Kerry. For years, Cancer Connect have been bringing the people of West Cork to Cork Arc in the city and will continue to do so for Cork Arc in Bantry.

The new facility was officially opened by Graham Norton last August, who said of Cork Arc Cancer Support House’s latest service: 

‘I think particularly in a rural community to get a diagnosis, it can be very isolating, and you can feel very alone – like it’s only you.  What’s great is that there is something like this that brings people together and you don’t feel alone, you know that other people are going through it, and you know that there are people giving you solid, credible advice and help.’

His words are reflected in the huge uptake in the services, with over 100 new visitors seeking support already.

Cork ARC welcomes anyone affected by cancer (patient or family member) to telephone or drop in, without an appointment, to talk in confidence with a trained volunteer listener. Their West Cork centre also offers therapeutic massage, reflexology and counselling as well as a drop-in guided ‘Hour of Calm’ each Tuesday at 11:30am. 

As all of the services of Cork ARC Cancer Support House are provided free of charge, the charity needs the support of members of the community through fundraising initiatives such as the Bantry Bay Run and volunteers to deliver Cork ARC’s professional services.