What is Face Up To Cancer?

Leading Irish cancer charities collaborate to launch 'Face Up To Cancer'.
It's a unique campaign to fund critical cancer research and support services for a disease to which we lose an average of one person per hour in Ireland.
Three of Ireland’s leading cancer charities - Breakthrough Cancer Research, Breast Cancer Ireland and the Marie Keating Foundation, have joined forces for the first time ahead of World Cancer Day, Sunday 4th February 2024, to launch an innovative new campaign entitled ‘Face Up To Cancer’, which will raise significant funds for cancer research and support services across the island of Ireland.
In Ireland almost 42,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed each year, which means that sadly one person is diagnosed with cancer every 15 minutes, and as a country we lose, on average, 9874 people each year to cancer - an average of one person every hour.
Face Up To Cancer is a fundraising campaign, aiming to engage thousands of people to upload their selfies and make a donation at www.faceuptocancer.ie, in support of cancer research and support services in partnership with 3 leading Irish cancer charities.
Each individual image will ultimately form part of a unique facial mosaic, using the thousands of selfies submitted, to form a series of eight portraits in total, showing the faces of some of those that have been affected by cancer, and some of the experts working tirelessly to change the future of cancer care and treatments.
Presenter Miriam O’Callaghan is a proud Ambassador for the campaign, having lost a sister aged just 33 to the disease, as is Presenter Bobby Kerr of Newstalk and RTÉ’s Evelyn O’Rourke, both of whom are survivors of cancer. Well-known TV presenter Craig Doyle has also lent his support by voicing the campaign showreel. Conor Ferguson, husband of much-loved journalist and RTÉ presenter Keelin Shanley, who sadly passed away from cancer in early 2020, and Stephen Teap, a close friend of Vicky Phelan, who lost his wife Irene to cervical cancer in 2017, are also supporting this nationwide initiative.
The campaign aims to put a face to cancer through the portraits, and to bring the country together through the simple act of ‘donating a selfie’, with the final resulting mosaics being revealed across digital platforms once the campaign comes to a close at the end of February 2024.
The monies raised will be used to make a significant impact on the lives of the one in two people living in Ireland who will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Specifically, funds will be channelled into three critical areas:
1. Investment in Breast Metastatic Disease Progression Research: Advancing the understanding and treatment of breast metastatic disease progression to the brain.
2. Research for Hard-to-Treat Cancers: Funding research to develop better ways to detect and treat lung, pancreatic, ovarian, oesophageal, and other hard-to-treat cancers.
3. Cancer Awareness and Support Services: Providing on-the-ground support for individuals and families living with or beyond cancer.
The campaign will also create a story that inspires a sense of unity and shared commitment to tackling cancer on multiple fronts.
Participation is simple - go to www.faceuptocancer.ie upload your selfie, then choose your donation amount. Then share your selfie across your social channels to show your support using #FaceUpToCancer and #DonateASelfieSaveLives.
For those wishing to donate directly, you can do so on the website.