The Marie Keating Foundation is asking people to Glam Up Your Bra and raise awareness of the 3,215 women diagnosed with breast cancer every year in Ireland

 To mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month a group of Irish personalities, creatives and breast cancer advocates launched the Glam Up Your Bra – Support Your Girls Campaign in aid of The Marie Keating Foundation who are raising much-needed funds for breast cancer awareness this October.

Bras are used for support and are unique to each person, with different styles, shapes and sizes just as everyone’s breast cancer journey is personal to them. This campaign, in partnership with pharmaceutical company Roche, is calling on individuals and businesses around Ireland to get behind the campaign by sharing it on social media and donating €4 by texting ‘Marie’ to 50300[1] for breast cancer support and awareness services. The theme of ‘support’ also aims to spark conversations with friends and family on the importance of self-check and the signs women should be looking for.

Speaking at the campaign launch Liz Yeates, CEO, Marie Keating Foundation, said, “Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, with 3,215 women diagnosed every year in Ireland. Thanks to the work done to increase awareness of early signs and symptoms and improved treatment options, breast cancer now has a five-year survival rate of

83%. Being breast aware and understanding how to effectively check your breasts each month is crucial to spotting those early signs and getting treatment, if needed, quickly. As a breast cancer survivor, I have glammed up a bra too and would encourage everyone to do the same – it’s a fun, easy way to support those women going through or recovering from a breast cancer journey and do your bit to help recovery from  breast cancer.”

Well-known personalities who glammed up a bra for the campaign, each with their own unique motivations,included leading fashion designers Helen Steele & Paula Rowan, social media influencers James Patrice and Holly Carpenter, award-winning author Emily Hourican, broadcasters Evelyn O’Rourke, Maia Dunphy and Anna Daly, creatives Ruth Monahan of Appassionata Flowers and Tropical Popical owner Andrea Horan as well as  businesswoman and advocate Norah Casey among others. All the bra creations will be on display in the window of Marks & Spencer, Grafton Street until Saturday 12^th October. As a retail partner of The Marie Keating Foundation, the store will also donate 25% of sales of its selected sleepwear to the charity for the month of October, as one of the Foundation’s Pink Patrons.

Speaking about the campaign Elaine McSherry, Medical Manger, Roche Products (Ireland) Ltd., said, “Through our research we found that a significant majority (8 in 10 women) were unaware that Ireland is the slowest country in Western Europe to make new medicines publicly available. Nearly half would also like to see an improvement in the provision of social and emotional support services. Campaigns like this help significantly in driving awareness and by working together we can seek to improve the current access system and ensure everyone gets the treatment they need.”

Dr Janice Walsh, consultant medical oncologist at St Vincent’s University Hospital and Tallaght Hospital, said, “It is crucial that we acknowledge that no two breast cancer patient journeys are the same. Each person with breast cancer may experience a different set of symptoms of the disease and may receive a completely different treatment plan to that of their neighbour. This campaign really highlights the individual experience of breast cancer, which is a very important message to bring to focus. For anyone who feels worried about their breasts I would advise them to speak to their primary care physician. Services such as those provided by the Marie Keating Foundation are incredibly beneficial to many people going through their breast cancer journey, and I am proud to be part of such a worthwhile campaign.”

Follow #GlamUpYourBra and take part or for more information visit https://mariekeating.ie/glamupyourbra

[1] Text MARIE to 50300 to donate €4 to the Marie Keating Foundation. Text costs €4. MKF will receive a minimum of €3.60. Service Provider LIKECHARITY. Helpline 076 6805278.