Box in Pink charity event returns to Galway for another year
Attending the launch of ‘Box in Pink’ which takes place on the 10th of March at the Clayton Hotel, to help raise funds for the National Breast Cancer Research Institute (NBCRI) were: University of Galway CancerSoc students, (Back Row): Finn Conroy, Alannah Ryan, Andrew Costello, Eoin Kenny, Yan Leydon. (Front Row) Jess Oakley O’Kelly, Oran Canty, Danny Maher, Niall Awogboro. Photo: Sean Lydon
By Dan Maher
Box in Pink charity boxing event will take place in Clayton Hotel on March 10.
The night will see 40 students face off in the boxing ring to raise money for the National Breast Cancer Research Institute.
With last year’s fundraiser generating €22,894, Sarah Mullaney, auditor of University of Galway Cancer Society, expects even bigger things for this year’s competition.
“I think it’s going to be a big year for it, boxers started training in January, so they’re getting plenty of preparation with two days a week of training.”
When it comes to planning, Sarah admits that the processes are more time-consuming than in previous years.
“This year we have started earlier. I had the documents for insurance sent out in November and we were still waiting for confirmation in early February.”
“Since the insurance is done through the university, it’s about getting it to a standard that they want. Last year there was a problem and they couldn’t sell tickets until a week beforehand, which wasn’t ideal.”
Moving ringside, University of Galway Boxing Club captain Eoin Kenny is happy with how preparations have gone for this year’s event.
“We have a great number of people trying it for the first time, so it’s great. You’re trying to get them ready to go out in front of everyone in eight weeks, so we just try to teach them the basics.”
“We try to give them the confidence that they can defend themselves and move around the ring.”
On a personal level, this event is very close to home for him, as he lost his dad to cancer five years ago.
There is a sense of fate about him being so central to the fundraiser this year.
“Being able to raise money for people who have suffered from cancer and for cancer research is very important to me. It felt like something I was always supposed to do.”
Of the 40 fighters this year in the Clayton Hotel, one of them is Declan Mangan.
He looks back on joining the club in September last year, using it as a way to socialise as well as keep fit.
“My friend was already in the boxing club in the university and it was just a way of hanging out and seeing each other twice a week.
“It’s really good to be honest, the set up is pretty sound, Eoin is always there to give some advice and tips.”
Stepping into unknown territory, he talks about his thoughts on the upcoming event.
“Boxing someone is one thing, but actually doing it in front of 400 people is another thing. You’re not going out to kill anyone, it’s an exhibition fight more than anything else.”
“It’s a balancing act, you’re in front of a couple hundred people, so you don’t want to make a fool of yourself either and come out way too weak, but also it is for charity so no one’s going to be showing off too much.”
As students get ready to glove-up and spectators flock to the Clayton Hotel, Box in Pink will see another year of money raised for a great cause, as well as some tight encounters in the ring.
