East and West Waterford joined forces over the weekend of October 10th and 11th and collectively raised a staggering €260,000 for the Solas Cancer Support Centre.

Nearly 5,000 participants took part with the main event taking place on Sunday 11th October in Waterford city, while Dungarvan hosted the event on Saturday 10th October. 6,000 pupils also participated in the ‘Go Orange for Solas’ event on October 9th in schools around the county.

On announcing the amount raised Paddy McMahon, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the charity spoke of his appreciation to all who took part.

“We are very grateful to all the runners, walkers, fundraisers, and volunteers involved. The incredible funds generated, are the second largest on record over the 18 years of the event, and will be used to help fund our services, both in Waterford and in our west Waterford service, in 2027. Because of these funds raised we are proud to be able to meet our increased demand and offer a broad range of support to our clients.”

Announcement Photo 1
L-R: John Keane, Presenter, WLR FM; Ann Marie Power, Head of Fundraising and Communication, Solas Cancer Support Centre; Oliver Carroll, Presenter, WLR FM; Kieran Foley, News & Sports Editor, WLR FM; Gwen Daniels, General Manager, UPMC Whitfield; Tracy McDaid, Manager, Solas Cancer Support Centre; Dymphna Nugent, Presenter, WLR FM. Photo: Garrett Fitzgerald.

Tracy McDaid, Manager of the Solas Cancer Support Centre explains how the event this year was such a huge success.

“The Run and Walk for Solas would not be possible without the 200 volunteers involved over the weekend and in planning for the event. We would like to thank our Media Sponsor WLR FM and our Event Sponsor UPMC Whitfield Hospital, the event would not be possible without them both. We are also grateful for the support of Eirgen, Activate and Beat, whose support helped make the 2026 Run and Walk for Solas such a success. We would also like to acknowledge our appreciation to the family and friends of the late Benny Kiely, in raising €72,000 of the total amount we are announcing for the 2026 event.”

Solas offers free professional support services to those affected by cancer, their families, and carers in Waterford and surrounding areas. A wide range of services are available including Counselling, Complementary Therapies, Acupuncture, Meditation, Yoga, Play Therapy, and Art Psychotherapy for children and adolescents, as well as a range of information and exercise sessions. For inquiries, please call the Solas Cancer Support Centre on 051 304604 or email info@solascentre.ie