Adam Keefe and his Belfast Giants are throwing their weight behind a local charity, hoping to raise significant funds for children and families affected by cancer.

Cancer Fund for Children’s Giant Coastal Challenge will return on Sunday 16th September with the Giants hoping hundreds will step out and support the 10-mile charity walk from the Giant’s Causeway to Carrick-A-Rede.

Funds raised from the challenge will help Cancer Fund for Children to provide a range of practical, financial and therapeutic support to families whose lives have been devastated by a childhood cancer diagnosis.

The Giants have also been longstanding supporters of the charity’s work, arranging for families affected by cancer to attend games, and providing unique opportunities for them to create special memories together.

And Keefe is happy to continue that support and encouraged fans and local people to get behind the walk.

“It is our pleasure and honour to be able to offer some kind of support to families going through the most awful time,” he said.

“The resilience of these families to stay strong and positive amid a cancer diagnosis is just so inspirational.

“I would really encourage anyone considering supporting Cancer Fund for Children to get involved in their Giant Coastal Challenge.

“It really could make a Giant difference to families going through the most difficult time of their lives.”

One local family who know only too well the difference support from Cancer Fund for Children and the Belfast Giants can make are the Galway family from Belfast.

Mum Loretta said that support from the charity and the Giants team were absolutely invaluable for her family during her daughter Cora’s cancer diagnosis, and after she sadly passed away in September 2017.

She said: “Cora was diagnosed with cancer around Christmas 2015, when she was 15. It was a couple of months later when we met our Cancer Fund for Children Specialist, Neil.

“He visited us in the house, offering one to one support for Cora, and for our sons, Clark, Calvin, Casey and Caiden. He would take the boys out for the day sometimes, and they loved it.

“They knew they could talk to him about anything, and it was reassuring knowing they had someone they could share their worries with.

“Some of our fondest memories though were the tickets provided by Cancer Fund for Children to go to Belfast Giants games.

“We got to know the team and Adam Keefe has taken a lot of time with our kids over the past few years. Adam himself has been hugely inspirational for our boys, inspiring our son Casey to follow in his footsteps and become a Junior Giant. 

“He even went the extra mile and visited Casey’s school which made him feel special at such a hard time in his life.

“We are so grateful to Cancer Fund for Children and the Giants for everything they’ve done for our family. Losing a loved one is something you never get over, but the things they’ve done for us have helped us to cope better, stay positive and get on with life.”

The charity’s Giant Coastal Challenge hopes to raise thousands to enable the charity to support these families so they don’t have to face cancer alone.

To find out more about the work of Cancer Fund for Children or to sign up for their Giant Coastal Challenge go to www.cancerfundforchildren.com

PHOTO: Cancer Fund for Children