29 September 2015

Following the phenomenal success of the inaugural ‘D’hillbillies Mud Run’ last year, organisers are gearing up for a bigger, better, and muckier event this October, with the help of Munster and Ireland rugby player, Tommy O’Donnell and official media partner, RedFM. On Saturday 17th October, over 1,000 thrill seekers will descend on Gortnahown Farm in Mitchelstown to get down and dirty, while raising funds for The Mercy Cancer CARE Centre.

 

Brave participants can choose to tackle either 6km or 12km of mucky fun which will see them run, crawl, scramble and slide over and under obstacles throughout the wet and wild course overlooking the Galtee Mountains. D’hillbillies Mud Run is open to anyone over 16 with a reasonable level of fitness looking for a bit of fun. Entry is €35 per individual; the cost for teams of 6 – 19 people is €29 per person; while for teams with over 20 members, the cost is just €20 per person. Anyone who registers online will receive a specially commissioned D’hillbillies t-shirt.

 

Funds raised through this exciting event, which is organised by Mitchelstown Lions Club, will go towards The Mercy Cancer CARE Centre. With one in three people in Ireland expected to have cancer at some point in their lives, it is likely that we or someone close to us will have the experience of sitting in a consultation room, being given devastating news. The Mercy Hospital Foundation is building a specialised Cancer CARE Centre that will provide a quiet safe place for patients and families dealing with a cancer diagnosis to come to receive support on their cancer journey, and funds raised through the upcoming Mud Run will go towards the building of this.

 

President, Mitchelstown Lions Club, Lisa Sheehan spoke about the local support that makes D’hillbillies Mud Run possible: “Last year over 1,000 thrill seekers get down and dirty at D’hillbillies Mud Run in Mitchelstown, raising a phenomenal €16,000 for cancer services at The Mercy University Hospital Cork. This would not have been possible without the tremendous support we received, and continue to receive locally. Lions Club member, Billy O’Donovan has once again kindly agreed to host the Mud Run on his land at Gortnahown Farm, and without him the event would not be possible. The local Curraghagalla Community Group, the local shops and businesses in Mitchelstown, all deserve a special mention; as do our main sponsors RedFM and Dairygold Co-Op Society”.

 

Therese concluded “We are encouraging new and old participants to come out of October 17th for what promises to be a wet and wild day of fun. Why not come in fancy dress to add to the occasion? If you can’t participate, come along as a supporter and help cheer on participants. We know that the funds raised will be well used by the Mercy Hospital Foundation, and considering that every one of us at some point has, or will be affected by cancer, we feel this is an extremely worthy cause.”

 

Munster and Ireland rugby star, Tommy O’Donnell, who helped launch D’hillbillies Mud Run 2015 said “I was a spectator at last year’s Mud Run event and it certainly looked like a lot of fun. I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for something different to do in aid of a great cause.”

 

Deirdre Finn, Community and Events Fundraiser, The Mercy Hospital Foundation added “Our mission is to support the Hospital in delivering the highest quality of patient care by raising funds to support advancements and innovation in the treatment and care of patients at the Mercy Hospital, the People’s Hospital. We promise to do our very best to provide you with a world class hospital, right on your doorstep, and this is only possible through the help of our supporters and donors, like Mitchelstown Lions Club who have put trojan work into organising D’hillbillies Mud Run on October 17th and those brave enough to participate in it.”

 

D’hillbillies Mud Run takes place at Gortnahown Farm, approximately 1km from Junction 13 off the M8 motorway, just 30 minutes from Cork City, 1 hour from Waterford City, 1 and quarter hours from Limerick City, and 2 hours from Dublin. Registration opens at 9am on Saturday, 17th October, and participants should plan to arrive approx. 1 to 1.5 hrs before their registered wave time.

 

For more information, see https://www.facebook.com/DhillbilliesMudRun. To register or for more information on The Mercy Cancer Appeal call (021) 4274076 or visit www.mercyfundraising.ie. Keep up to date on all the latest news on social media using the hashtag #Mucky4Mercy.