Ray honours wife with ‘Deirdre’s Way’ charity walk
Mullingar businessman, Ray Fenton, is walking from the top of the country to the bottom in memory of his late wife, Deirdre to raise money for Cancer Trials Ireland.
His aim is to raise €50,000 so that more people can have access to revolutionary and emerging cancer treatments.
Deirdre Fenton, née Maguire, was “an extraordinary, ordinary woman”, a mother, wife and friend. She died in January, 2018 from pancreatic cancer.
Deirdre loved the outdoors and walked, as she put it, “for sanity, not vanity” – she walked ‘Deirdre’s Way’ and that is what this charity walk is called.
Ray said that although Deirdre did not survive her illness, there is a lot of light at the end of the tunnel for cancer patients through the work of Cancer Trials Ireland.
He said that fantastic work is currently being done in cancer treatment and the Irish oncologists are “among the best in the world”.
Ray is doing the walk from Malin Head to Mizen Head with his friend, Edel Laffoy, who has supported and encouraged him to do it and they have been training together for the last 18 months.
Family and friends will be joining them at different stages of the trek and Ray’s cousins, Jackie and Jenny White from Ballymahon are arranging a gathering along the Royal Canal Greenway from Longford to Ballymahon on September 4.
That leg of the walk will start at 9am at Harbour View in Longford and all are invited to come along and join them.
A special fundraiser launch took place at the Market Square, Mullingar, on Saturday last, August 21, to raise awareness of the campaign.
Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner after the launch, Ray said the day started off gloomy and overcast, but that didn’t dampen the generous spirit of the townspeople. Family, friends, colleagues and supporters all came out in droves to offer their support, he said and he thanked them all for their show of solidarity.
Ray and Edel will commence their walk from Malin Head on August 29 and hope to arrive at Mizen Head by September 18.
This walk is being sponsored by Celuplast Building Solutions, Dublin, and local businesses Blackhall Financial Services, Stephens Cooke Accountants and Bevcraft Group.
Ray Fenton, the owner of Lough Owel Motors, is well known in Mullingar. His son, Darren is co-owner of Bevcraft Group, a local company that provides packaging for the craft beverage industry in Ireland, the UK and Europe.
Anyone wishing to donate can do so at www.deirdresway.com or follow Deirdre’s Way on Facebook or Instagram.