Local retailer laces up for nine marathons in nine days walking challenge for cancer charity
Pearce Kelly, who co-owns and operates 12 local convenience stores in Mid Ulster, is calling on his local communities to get behind his latest challenge for a children’s cancer charity.
Mr Kelly, together with his wife Oonagh and their daughter Ellen, will take on Rory’s Miles to Mayo Challenge for Cancer Fund for Children from September 12-20.
Irish Rugby legend, Rory Best, will lead a team of business leaders, including the Kellys to walk nine marathons in nine days, covering the equivalent of 235 miles around Ireland.
As one last fundraising push, Kelly’s stores across the Mid Ulster area held coffee mornings over the weekend.
On Saturday September 26, his EUROSPAR store in Maghera will host a “finale” coffee morning to celebrate their return from the nine-day challenge, inviting the whole community to join together over a cuppa and a treat in exchange for a donation to the charity which supports children, young people and their families through cancer from diagnosis to treatment and beyond.
In total, Kelly’s Supermarket’s have raised over £300,000 for Cancer Fund for Children, with the family’s local community the main inspiration to continue to support the charity.
Mr Kelly said: “I had the opportunity to speak on behalf of the 102 EUROSPAR and ViVOXTRA supermarkets in Northern Ireland at a celebration event at Cancer Fund for Children, where we were marking £2,000,000 raised by the stores since 2011, and 15 years of the partnership.
“I commented that every single retailer has their reasons to go above and beyond for this incredible charity, and ours is because our community lost a beautiful little 3-year-old girl in Dympna Cassidy 15 years ago.
“Dympna was diagnosed with leukemia and passed away in 2011, a 3-year-old girl who truly left her mark. Dympna lived in Slaughtneil, only a couple of miles from home. I knew her parents. I saw the devastation that losing a child brings to a family and to an entire community. At the time I was a father raising a young family myself and it hit me deeply. We all wanted to do something practical, and so we created several events for Cancer Fund for Children in Dympna’s name.”
Pearce continued: “During previous fundraising for the charity I had the privilege of meeting a young man named Ozzie Rogers from Knockloughrim, who sadly lost his battle with cancer in 2020, at just 17 years old. When things get tough during the challenge I will think of Ozzie’s courage and that will drive me on.”
So far, more than £100,000 has been raised through Pearce’s Justgiving page here
Mr Kelly finished; “I cannot thank both the individuals and businesses enough for their generosity and kindness. I’m hoping to raise as much money as I can for this challenge. It means the charity can do so much more to ensure children and young people, and their families, do not have to face cancer alone.”
Remember that Kellys EUROSPAR in Maghera, will host a Return from Mayo Celebration between 10am-4pm on Saturday, September 26.