Press Release August 2013

• Launch of the Food for Hope cookbook, featuring 60 recipes from Ireland’s top celebrities, in support of the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association
• Gabriel Byrnes Chicken Tangine with Apricots, Aslan’s Irish with Beef in Guinness, Enda Kenny’s stir fried pork fillet and Maeve Binchy’s potato cakes and mackerel smokies, to name but a few, all on the Food for Hope menu
• Launch night event at Cork’s Silver Springs Hotel involving celebrity chef Neven Maguire, and MC’d by Newstalk presenter Jonathan Healy
• Fair City’s Maclean Burke to attend along with many other well-known faces who all contributed to the book

The Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association (IMNDA) is proud to announce an evening with Neven Maguire and the launch of the much anticipated celebrity cookbook Food for Hope on September 11th at the Silver Springs Convention Centre, Cork.
The public is being asked to don their aprons and dig deep to raise much needed funds to support the continued work of the Association, ensuring those suffering with motor neurone disease (MND), their families and carers, will continue to have the vital support from the IMNDA.

The cookbook was the brainchild of Cork woman, Katie Hallissey, whose father John passed away from MND in 2010. Katie, along with Marie Reavey of the IMNDA and Dolores MacKenna, friend of the Association, approached celebrities from all walks of life in Ireland asking them to submit their favourite recipes; the response was overwhelming. Amongst the first to respond was the late Maeve Binchy, whose recipe for potato cakes and mackerel smokies arrived the morning after she passed away.

Motor neurone disease (MND) is a neurological disorder that selectively affects the cells that control voluntary muscle activity including speaking, walking, swallowing, and general movement of the body. It is generally progressive in nature, and causes increasingly debilitating disability and, eventually, death.

Cork currently has the most motor neurone disease sufferers registered in the Republic outside of the capital. There are currently 35 sufferers, with an excess of 300 living with MND at any one time in Ireland.

Katie Hallissey said; “We are extremely grateful that so many of our well‐loved Irish celebrities, from all walks of life, have lent their support. We are equally grateful for the support we will have on the night from Neven Maguire who is sure to keep us entertained with his many culinary delights. All monies raised on the night, as well as from the sale of the book, will go towards helping people living with motor neurone disease, their carers and families, in addition to the ongoing medical research into finding both a cause and a cure for this disease.

The help provided by the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association offers families facing an insurmountable challenge the assurance of the best care, without having to worry about how it’s funded. I have seen at first hand the impressive work of the Association so I ask everyone, both locally and nationally, to come out in support of what will be a memorable event and buy a copy of Food for Hope”

Marie Reavey, IMNDA Regional Development Officer said; “I would just like to reiterate what Katie has said without the help and support of all involved in this project we would not be here promoting this great cookery book, Food for Hope. We are a very small organisation that relies heavily on fundraising to provide the support and services to the MND community in the Republic of Ireland. Motor Neurone Disease (MND) was described in a recent documentary by late RTE Sports Commentator Colm Murray who is living with MND, as the PITs Progressive Incurable Terminal. The everyday things like talking, walking, eating and swallowing become virtually impossible to people living with MND, yet in most causes the mind stays totally alert.Simple things like having an itch on your nose and not being able to scratch it. The diagnosis is a cruel one – a life expectancy three to five years or (1,000 days).The IMNDA provides home nursing support, financial assistance towards home care, the loan of specialist medical equipment, and supports research into the causes and treatment of the condition which affects the ability of cells in the body to communicate simple tasks we mentioned above almost impossible.”

A number of companies have already generously donated to the project, but it’s hoped that others will be able to lend their support.

Tickets for the event cost €20 and are on sale from imnda.ie , Freefone 1800 403 403 or by contacting Marie on 087‐416 8698 or mreavey@imnda.ie

“Food for Hope” will be on sale from the end of August 2013 via imnda.ie, Londubh, Easons and Amazon websites.

http://www.easons.com/p-1357189-food-for-hope.aspx#sthash.nLHsZZ5F.dpbs

http://www.amazon.com/Food-Hope-Cookbook-Support-Association/dp/1907535314

http://www.londubh.ie/?p=2255

NOTE TO EDITORS:

Samples of celebrity recipes available on request

Interviews available on request

Katie Hallissey available on 086-0429696

Marie Reavey from the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association available on 087-4168698