Fundraising events for June for John needs Pembro campaign

A number of fundraising events will take place this month to raise money for the John Needs Pembro campaign.

John Holmes, from the Pococke, is well known in the local business community as well as in sporting circles. Seven years ago, he was diagnosed with an advanced metastic neo endocrine tumour — a high grade tumour and rare form of cancer.

Following painful surgeries and aggressive cycles of chemotherapy, John was told by his oncologist that his best chance is injections of the immune inhibitor Pembrolizumab. He needs three cycles of injections, each cycle consisting of an injection once every three weeks for 24 weeks. Pembrolizumab is not currently licensed by the HSE for John. Each injection will cost €5,111.

John's bravery and determination is an inspiration and he continues to work as a sales representative for CJ O'Loughlins.

His work colleagues are organising a fundraising table quiz for John on June 22 in The Coach House, Gorey, Co. Wexford. The night's entertainment will also feature a series of sponsored beard, leg and head shaves. John's wife Edel will be making the ultimate sacrifice (for women anyway) by having her head shaved.

Readers can help sponsor Edel by donating to our GoFundMe account: https://www.gofundme.com/john-needs-pembro

Alternately, sponsorship can be posted or handed in to Maeve Farrell in CJ O'Loughlin's, Courtown, Co. Wexford. 

Other fundraisers this month include:

Sunday, June 15: Bucket shake outside Wexford Park before and after the Wexford v Kilkenny hurling match.

Thursday, June 20: Gig in The Set Theatre featuring Featuring: John Travers, Andrew Mc Guinness, Richie Prendergast, John Joe Cullen, Lizzy Mc Parlan, Pj Norton, Alison Hayes Kealy, John & Mary Hennessey, Eddie Cody, Tom Brazil. starts 9pm. Tickets available at the door for €5. There will also be a raffle for a selection of great spot prizes.

Friday, June 21: Yoga for John:

Celebrate International Yoga Day by doing a special early-morning class in the beautiful outdoor surroundings of Ballykeefe Amphitheatre. This all-access level class is intended for beginners and experienced yogis alike. Starts at 7:15am. Donation €10. Please bring your own mat.

Saturday, June 22: Table Quiz / Head Shave: Organised by CJ O'Loughlins staff. To be held in the Coach House, Gorey on Sa

Sunday, June 23: 5K Paced Run in Scanlan Park. A series of paced 5k runs and shorter Juvenile Races will take place starting from 10am

Sunday, June 30: The campaign has  permission to fundraise around Croke Park on the day of the Leinster Hurling Final. This is a fantastic opportunity but volunteers are needed to make a success of it. Please pm https://www.facebook.com/Johnneedspembro, e-mail johnneedspembro2018@gmail.com or call Kieran at 085 1620 321 if you are are willing to help out by shaking a bucket around Croker before and/or after the match.