Charity cycle for CJ takes place this week
Joe McCann with his son CJ who sadly passed away last year after a battle with cancer.
CJ McCann was just 21 months old when he lost his battle with a rare and aggressive brain cancer, ATRT (Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumour), in October last year.
Later this week, CJ's father Joe and 20 other enthusiastic volunteers will take on a gruelling Malin Head to Mizen Head cycle to raise money for two of the charities, Hand-in-Hand and Oscars Kids, who supported the McCann family during their childhood cancer journey.
Joe will be well-known to sports fans in Mayo, having represented the county at all levels of handball, winning the All-Ireland Senior Doubles title in 2009.
“I wanted to do something that was a real challenge, so I chose Malin Head to Mizen Head. Mizen to Malin has a perceived advantage as the prevailing winds are generally behind you. The way I saw it, CJ didn’t get the advantage of prevailing winds on his journey and he lived every day with a smile on his face.”
Along with most of the group, Joe is not a cyclist. The 21-strong team will strive to complete the 630km cycle in just four days, a huge undertaking for an amateur cycling group, beginning at the most northerly point on Thursday, August 22, and concluding on Monday, August 26, at Mizen Head. CJ’s Rainbow Charity Cycle is all about raising funds for two amazing charities that have helped the entire McCann family enormously over the past 18 months, while also remembering the bravery and strength of CJ. The family also hope to shine a light on the challenges of childhood cancer for families in Ireland.
“We ambitiously hope to raise €100,000 to help these two charities to support other families who are trying to cope and juggle life,” said Joe.
Hand in Hand is a national childhood cancer charity, based in Loughrea, which supports families all over Ireland, helping them to cope with the impact of treatment on family life. This support can include counselling, play therapy for children and/or their siblings, complementary therapies, hot meals, laundry, and domestic cleaning. For the McCann family, this has included play therapy for CJ's sisters, Róisín (8) and Clódagh (6), which is immensely beneficial to them in coping with CJ’s initial diagnosis, treatment and ultimately the loss of their little brother.
The second charity is Oscar’s Kids, who support families coping with a child's terminal cancer diagnosis. The charity aims to create moments of magic during the toughest of times. Their incredible support enabled the McCann family to plan CJ's Magical Christmas last September, the only Christmas spent with CJ at home.
An iDonate page has been set up at www.idonate.ie/event/cjsrainbow, which is open until August 26th.
