Projects
How the Money is Used to Help
The Punchestown Kidney Research Fund Charity Sweepstakes has raised over €1,000,000 since 1990 for various kidney research projects. Also run in conjunction with the Amateur Sweepstakes is the PKRF Gala Ball, which has become an integral part of the social calendar during the Punchestown Racing Festival week and held annually on the Friday night at Killashee House Hotel, Naas, Kildare.
The money raised from both the Diageo Ireland Charity Race and Charity Ball will be used by the Punchestown Kidney Research Fund to support research projects that improve the life of patients suffering from kidney disease. Some of the money has already been used to purchase a holiday home that enables dialysis patients to take a holiday while maintaining their life saving dialysis at the same time.
The charity also funds research numerous projects such as sponsoring Newman Scholar, Dr. Declan Healy, at U.C.D. who went on to win an International award at a Renal Conference in Norway for his studies into better ways to transport kidneys prior to transplantation. Support has also been committed to Dr. Gillian Murphy of Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, to fund a third consecutive year of a skin cancer screening programme for kidney recipients. We hope that this project continues to be as effective following on from the staggering success of first two years of screening.
The Punchestown Kidney Research Fund Sports Bursary is awarded to a kidney transplant athlete in order to allow them to compete at the World Transplant Games, which take place every odd year. In 2005, the second Punchestown Kidney Research Fund Sports Bursary was awarded to Tony Gartland from Carlow who went on to represent Ireland at the World Transplant Games in Ontario, Canada, where he won Gold, Silver and Bronze in the 800 m, 1500 m and 5000 m respectively.
The charity also provided funds facilitate Dr Jose Antonio Copo Jorge of Cuba on his visits to Ireland in 2001, 2003 and 2005, for training in kidney and pancreas transplantation with Professor David Hickey in Beaumont Hospital.