Charity race raises €1.4 million

Sir, - The 27th running of the Carry An Organ Donor Card - Punchestown Kidney Research Fund Charity Race took place on April 30th at Punchestown.

This year’s race saw Michael O’Connor time his run to perfection with Pires to just get the better of Redmond Barry aboard Mr Steadfast with Kerri Lyons a close third on Chapter Seven.

The total monies raised from the day were a phenomenal €82,709, and that puts the cumulative total raised by the PKRF at a fantastic €1,385,210.

We have invested these funds in a variety of projects that aim to improve the quality of life for patients on dialysis, establish ways to maximise the lifespan of the transplanted kidney and support research that tries to identify the causes that lead to renal failure.

We also promote organ donor awareness whenever the opportunity arises.

So many people deserve thanks for making the charity race such a huge success. The Punchestown Kidney Research Fund enjoys the privilege of being permitted to run our race during the Punchestown Festival. Great credit is due to all the team at Punchestown who make our raceday so special, as well as all the staff at the Turf Club who so generously volunteer their services on the day, and also the staff at Horse Racing Ireland and RACE who ensure our event is run properly.

We are very grateful to all the owners and the trainers who have given incredible support to our race, every year, for the past 27 years.

We would like to acknowledge the various forms of media, whose coverage of our race - in whatever way - is hugely important both to our charity and to all those people awaiting life saving transplants; you all give hope by raising the profile of our organ donor awareness campaign.

The Punchestown Kidney Research Fund has committed to support the following projects during 2016 and 2017:

  • €150,000 committed to support a new renal unit at Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin.
  • €100,000 committed to support two kidney related research projects under the guidance of the Irish Nephrology Society.
  • €20,000 committed to continue our art therapy programmes for dialysis patients in Tallaght & Waterford Dialysis Units.
  • €5,000 committed to our sports programme for dialysis & transplant patients
  • €10,000 committed to our patient-to-patient support programme.

    • On behalf of the charity I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the Punchestown Kidney Research Fund, in any small way at all, as this has helped us to support various projects which, in turn improves the quality of life for those patients with kidney illness and also helps us to create positive organ donor awareness in Ireland. - Yours etc.,

    JAMES NOLAN

    Chairman,

    Punchestown Kidney Research Fund (Reg. Charity CHY 16613)

    Kilcullen,

    Co Kildare.