Hook Hockey

Treacy to raise funds for CRY screening centre

Fingal man Ken Treacy, along with his brother, Jonathan, is organising a second annual charity 5-a-side soccer tournament and Family Fun Day in aid of CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) to help support the Screening Centre based in Tallaght hospital.

They aim to raise awareness of this service and help to promote the work of the centre. The 5-a-side event will take place on Saturday, June 16 in Astropark, Tallaght at 11am.

A former League of Ireland player, Jonathan played for UCD in the 1990s but was, himself, affected by this condition. During the 1996 season, he began to feel unwell during tougher games and decided to undergo tests.

They showed that he had probable Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. This is a condition whereby your heart muscle thickens and can restrict blood flow to the heart, thereby leading to serious problems including sudden death.

This condition can be a factor in Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS), which has received a lot of publicity due to the recent case of Fabrice Muamba, and the tragic deaths of Cormac McAnallen and other young sportspeople.

Jonathan commented, “I was lucky enough that the thickness of the muscle in my heart is very small and is in an area that doesn’t directly affect anything, so I was free to continue my life without any need for intervention but I still need to be monitored every year just to check that nothing has changed.

“My brother Ken plays top level hockey and the same thing developed at the same age with him but again, he is just monitored every so often.

“Because of the help and support that we have received from CRY and Dr Deirdre Ward in particular, my brother and I decided to organise a 5 a side tournament to raise funds.

“Through the generous sponsorship of Astropark and Musgraves and others, we will hold the tournament in Astropark in Tallaght on Saturday 16th June between 11am and 2.30pm. There will be a BBQ, bouncy castles, face painting and music there on the day so we are encouraging a fun, family atmosphere.”

The brothers raised almost €4,000 last year with 100 players taking part in the tournament and friends and families coming along to support. This year, they are hoping to double the numbers as there was such a positive reaction.

Entry to the tournament costs €125 per team of five to seven players. Entry includes food and soft drinks at the barbeque. Players must be over 16 years old.

Further details and information can be found on www.cry5asidechallenge.com or please contact Jonathan Treacy at 085 2718851 or Lucia Ebbs at CRY on 01 4525482.

If you would like to support CRY please go to the CRY website, www.cry.ie, click on DONATE NOW.