Longford people show “Flower Power”
by wearing a purple rose on 65 Roses Day

The people of Longford are being urged to show their support for people living with cystic fibrosis (CF) and their families by wearing a purple rose on Cystic Fibrosis Ireland’s (CFI) 65 Roses Day, Friday 12th April.

The annual fundraising flag day – which derives its name from the way in which young children often first say the words "cystic fibrosis" – seeks to raise much-needed monies for CF services. It will see volunteers out in force across the county, People can get behind the appeal by buying a purple rose, completing a 65 Roses Challenge or donating online at www.65RosesDay.ie.

Among the well-known faces to lend their support to this very worthy cause, and encouraging the public to rally behind it, is local TD, Deputy Willie Penrose.

Ireland has the highest incidence of CF in the world and some of the most severe types. There are almost 1,400 people living with CF in Ireland and the number is increasing each year as a result of improvements in treatment and care. According to recently-published statistics from the Cystic Fibrosis Registry of Ireland, there were 10 people with CF registered as being from Co. Longford in 2017.

Feeling the Purple
CFI depends almost entirely on the public for the provision of its services and this 65 Roses Day is hoping to raise more than €120,000 for much-needed services for people with CF. These include patient grants for counselling, fertility treatment, and transplant assessment, covering the cost of a number of CF clinical staff in hospitals, and raising funds to assist in the building of the new CF in-patient unit at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin which serves people with CF across the North East region and beyond.

People can support 65 Roses Day by:

·         Buying a purple rose for €2 from volunteers, and in participating shopping centres and Spar Stores, or by donating online at 65RosesDay.ie

·         Completing a 65 Roses Challenge such as playing 65 holes of golf non-stop, or baking 65 muffins for a bake sale at work, or having 65 friends and neighbours around for afternoon tea – for details visit 65RosesDay.ie

·         Texting 65ROSES to 50300 for €2 [Text costs €2. Cystic Fibrosis Ireland will receive a minimum of €1.80. Service Provider: LIKE CHARITY. Helpline: 076 6805278.]

Be Part of the CF News Story
Having reported on the lives of people with CF, and the challenges that they face, it is important for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland ambassador, and RTÉ Six One news anchor, Keelin Shanley, to lend her support:
“I have seen and heard first-hand many times the heart-breaking stories of people living with cystic fibrosis and their families. The simple act of breathing in and out – something which the rest of us perhaps can sometimes take for granted – can be Herculean. Given the daily Everest they climb, it is perhaps not surprising how formidable and impressive people with cystic fibrosis are in their resolve to live their lives to the full and to let nothing hold them back. As a journalist, my role is to observe and report on a story. But as citizens, I firmly believe that we all have a duty to be part of that story by making that load a little lighter and to make our country a better place for people with cystic fibrosis. You can do that by the simple act of buying a purple rose for €2 on 65 Roses Day, Friday 12th April.” 

A Purple Rose Goes a Long Way
Well-known GAA pundit, Joe Brolly, is a long-time ambassador for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland and an ardent advocate for soft opt-out organ donation which will be a major milestone for the CF community in Ireland when introduced by Government:
“We know according to research that, in the unfortunate situation of their untimely death,  most people in this country would want to donate their organs and to pass on the gift of life to up to eight people. I am delighted that the Government intends to introduce soft opt-out organ donation, where the presumption is that people will want to donate their organs, unless they opt out or their family declines. This is huge progress as while we may have the best of intentions when it comes to organ donation, more often than not we just don’t get around to registering that intent. It will also help to address the sharp fall in deceased donors over the past couple of years, and an increase in the number of people on the lung transplant waiting list since 2015. Of course, the simple gift of wearing a purple rose on 65 Roses Day, Friday 12th April, or donating online at 65RosesDay.ie, is something that we can all do now and will go a long way to improving the lives of people with cystic fibrosis.”

If you’d like to volunteer and lend your support on 65 Roses Day by selling purple roses in your community or workplace, simply call Brendán on LoCall 1890 311 211, email fundraising@cfireland.ie or visit 65RosesDay.ie

People can find the appeal on Facebook at facebook.com/CysticFibrosisIreland and on Twitter at twitter.com/cf_ireland. The campaign hashtag is #65RosesDay