Fashion show set to launch second Kells Pink Ribbon Walk

This year's second Kells Pink Ribbon Walk 2010 will be officially launched at a gala spring fashion show on 15th April. The glamorous event will feature all the latest trends from an array of top-end boutiques and stores. Participants will include McElhinney's of Athboy, Ribbon Rouge and D4L, both Navan, and Dunnes Premier House in Kells. Marizy's Children's Boutique will showcase fashion for youngsters, while there will be plenty of accessories provided throughout the show by Lamont (Navan), Kiernan's Footwear (Kells) and acclaimed milliner Gillian Hughes. There will be clothes to suit every taste, as the show will feature fashion for children and men, as well as ladies, and themes will range from casual to formal wear. The Spring Fashion Show takes place in the Kenlis Suite, Headfort Arms Hotel, on Thursday 15th April. It kicks off at 7pm sharp with a pink champagne and finger food reception and there will also be a raffle during the evening, featuring some very generously donated prizes. Over 600 people participated in the inaugural Kells Pink Ribbon Walk around Girley Bog last September, raising an astounding €100,000 for Action Breast Cancer (ABC). Since then, the Pink Ribbon Committee, led by chairperson Penny McGowan, has gone from strength to strength. Penny scooped a Volunteer of the Year Award at the prestigious Ireland InVOLved prizegiving ceremony last November. Meanwhile, the Pink Ribbon Ladies donned pink wigs and marched in the St Patrick's Day parades in both Oldcastle and Kells, winning the prize for Best Float in the latter. The overall ambition is to make the Pink Ribbon Walk a national event, with one taking place in each province in 2011. A second walk is already planned to take place in Killaloe, Co Clare, on 19th June. Action Breast Cancer (ABC), a programme of the Irish Cancer Society, is Ireland's leading provider of breast cancer information and support. Each year, it reaches over 25,000 women who are concerned about breast cancer and breast health. "There are, on average, 2,200 new cases of breast cancer in Ireland every year, so it's essential that groups like this help raise vital funds, enabling Irish scientists to find new therapies to prevent breast cancer, better techniques to diagnose it accurately and ultimately new treatments which will cure it," said Naomi Fitzgibbon, Irish Cancer Society. The sponsorship monies raised by participants in the Pink Ribbon Walk 2009 went directly towards cancer research and is also funding the national ABC helpline for 2010. The Pink Ribbon Ladies are a small committee of local volunteers, some of who have been directly affected by breast cancer. "We're looking forward to a fun night and great style at the Spring Fashion Show," added Penny McGowan. "Come along and enjoy a lovely evening for a great cause - and hear more about our plans for the Kells Pink Ribbon Walk 2010." The 2010 Kells Pink Ribbon Walk is scheduled to take place on 11th September next. A new website is due to be launched shortly at www.pinkribbonwalk.ie Tickets for the Spring Fashion Show are priced at €25 and are available from Kells Chamber, Maudlin Street, Kells; the Headfort Arms Hotel or any of the participating outlets.