The Marie Keating Foundation calls on women to “Give your Bra for Breast Cancer”
For every bra donated during October, Roche Products (Ireland) Limited will give the Marie Keating Foundation €1[1]
Sunday, 5 October 2014: The Marie Keating Foundation is calling on women across Ireland to “Give your Bra for Breast Cancer.” The cancer charity has today launched its new campaign asking women to donate an unwanted bra in any size, any colour, any style and any condition to the Marie Keating Foundation during October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The campaign, which is proudly supported by Roche Products (Ireland) Limited, will see the Marie Keating Foundation receive €1 for every bra donated throughout the month. There are drop off points around the country, including shopping centres, Harvey Norman stores, and others. The full list of drop off points is available at www.mariekeating.ie. Bras can also be posted to the Marie Keating Foundation.
Speaking at the launch, Liz Yeates, Director of Public Affairs, Marie Keating Foundation, said, “The Bras for Breast Cancer campaign is an ideal way for women to support the fight against breast cancer. While not everyone can spare money, most of us have a bra that we don’t wear anymore. If these bras are donated to us, they can assist the Marie Keating Foundation in its important cancer awareness work and support services. We are hoping that women across Ireland will dig out these bras and give a bra for breast cancer, helping this vital cause and also creating some space in their wardrobe.”
Also speaking at the launch was Helen Forristal, Nurse Manager, Marie Keating Foundation, who added, “Breast Cancer Awareness Month is primarily about making women more breast aware. Over 3,000 women a year are diagnosed with breast cancer in Ireland but we know that the women who are aware of what looks and feels normal for them are best placed to spot changes in their breasts and so attend their GP as early as possible. This is a key part of surviving breast cancer. The funds raised from the Bras for Breast Cancer campaign will allow the Marie Keating Foundation to continue to spread this cancer awareness message and I would urge all women to support it.”
Besides Harvey Norman stores, multiple retail outlets, shopping centres, cafes and businesses around the country, such as Dundrum Town Centre, Swords Pavillion, Galway Shopping Centre, Parkway Shopping Centre, Letterkenny Shopping Centre and Longwalk Shopping Centre are hosting bra bins and acting as bra drop off points. For a full list of bra drop off locations, please see www.mariekeating.ie. Women are also invited to post their bra to Bras for Breast Cancer, 5th Floor, Huguenot House, 35 – 38 Stephens Green, Dublin 2.
The donated bras will be sent to secondary schools around Ireland to be re-created and re-cycled as fashion garments as part of an art and design competition.
Speaking at the launch of the campaign Sheri Morin, Managing Director of Roche Products (Ireland) Limited said, “We are delighted to support the Marie Keating Foundation with their ‘Bras for Breast Cancer’ campaign, the foundation do incredible work delivering their breast cancer awareness message and education programmes to women all over Ireland and it is our hope that through this campaign they can reach even more communities with the Breast Aware message. We are proud of our history in supporting Irish community groups and charities such as the Marie Keating Foundation, and look forward to building on these relationships in the future.”
Liz Yeates added, “The Marie Keating Foundation does not receive any government funding so we could not do the work we do without the support of organisations such as Roche Products (Ireland) Limited. We are hugely grateful for their support of this exciting campaign which is enabling us to reach women across the country with our breast awareness message.”
ENDS
Media contact
For more information, images and interviews, please contact:
Caitriona Hennessy, Communications Manager, Marie Keating Foundation
Tel: 01 628 3728, Mob: 087 933 5686, Email: [email protected]
Note to editor:
About the Marie Keating Foundation
Following their mother Marie’s death in 1998 from breast cancer, the Keating family promised to try to provide all women and their families with vital information which could help them to prevent cancer or detect it at its earliest stages. Their collective aim was to “enlighten not frighten”.
The Marie Keating Foundation is now a leading voice in cancer awareness and information for both men and women in Ireland.
The Foundation does not receive any Government funding and all of our services are provided free of charge. Without the support of our wonderful fundraisers, volunteers and corporate supporters across Ireland, we simply could not continue to provide these vital services and make one family’s promise of making cancer less frightening by enlightening a reality.
[1] Roche will give Marie Keating Foundation €1 for every bra donated up a maximum donation of €10,000
