Joey's Fundraising Page

Dear Miles for Myeloma participants,

On behalf of the board of Multiple Myeloma Ireland we would like to express our sincerest thanks for your participation in this campaign, which has been a tremendous success on several fronts.

Your collective efforts over the month of September have raised over €150,000 for Multiple Myeloma Ireland. This phenomenal amount of money will help us continue to provide and improve support for patients and families affected by Multiple Myeloma and AL Amyloidosis,  and fund research in Ireland for these diseases.

However, fundraising was not the only objective of this campaign. Promoting awareness and understanding of Multiple Myeloma across the country was the other equally important aim of our efforts. Thank you to those involved in organising media coverage, and those who shared your stories on print media, radio, and social media. We are also very grateful to those of you who organised group events which helped spread the awareness to the wider public, in all parts of the country.

Multiple Myeloma is now better known among the general public and hopefully this will lead to earlier diagnosis and quicker access to treatment. Patients and families are also much more aware of where they can get support, help and information at all stages of their pathway, much of which is through the work of Multiple Myeloma Ireland.

We also wish to thank our friends in pharmaceutical companies in Ireland, who are involved in the research and manufacture of treatment drugs, for their involvement and awareness raising among their workforce, giving some context to how their work improves patient outcomes.

However, the greatest strength of this campaign was that it engaged Myeloma patients to get out and be active in whatever context was most suitable, recognising we are all on different levels, due to treatments and recovery. Thank you to some of you who kindly shared pictures of their walks and events furthering awareness and encouragement, but also to others who chose to do their own activities quietly for themselves. Whether you were taking baby steps or big strides, we thank you and applaud your efforts.

There were over 1200 participants taking part in various types of events for Miles for Myeloma. This has created the opportunity for patients and families to meet and connect with others sharing this journey, to help them know they are not alone and inspire hope.

We thank you profoundly for your involvement in making this happen.

Yours sincerely,

September Event Committee

Mary Kelly (MMI Board Chair)

Ally Byrne (MMI Board member and Event Coordinator)

Ann Fleming (MMI Board Vice Chair)

Mary O Brien (MMI Board Member)

Niamh Murray (MMI Board Member)

Pat Gately (MMI Board Member)

Miriam Donohoe (Communications)

Mag Kirwin (Communications)

Board members,

Anne Fitzgerald (Treasurer)

Dermot O Leary

Fionnuala Duffy (Board Secretary)

Orlaith Cormican

Prof. Paul Browne