Marathon information evening

An Information Evening on the activities of the Punchestown Kidney Research Fund will be held for participants in the forthcoming Flora Dublin City Marathon.

The evening is scheduled for May 12 in Kilcullen Parish Centre, and will be addressed by Darren Cawley, a regular kidney dialysis patient who has nevertheless managed to live a very full life despite the difficulties caused by his situation.

Hilary Moss, Arts Officer in Tallaght Hospital, will also speak on what differences the fundraising by the PKRF have made to the quality of life of those attending the Dialysis Unit in the hospital. These have included funding a number of arts initiatives in the unit itself which involved training by a professional artist for the patients.

Already 66 people have committed to completing the mini-marathon on behalf of the fund, a participation which has for several years now been organised by local woman Phena Bermingham and a bunch of friends of the PKRF.

"We have more than last year, and we could have had even more who came along after entries for the event closed," Phena says.

The participants on behalf of the fund in last year's mini-marathon raised 19,000 euros.

Brian Byrne.