Castlebar’s Tom O’Boyle set to take on the Great Ethiopian Run in aid of Orbis Ireland

CASTLEBAR man Tom O’Boyle is set to take part in a charity run for Orbis Ireland to raise money for life-saving eye care for people in Ethiopia.

At present, 1.2 million Ethiopians are blind, and 2.7 million have a visual impairment. All funds raised go towards Orbis Ireland’s goal of eliminating this blinding disease.

In total, 65 Irish runners from all over Ireland are taking part in The Great Ethiopian Run to raise funds for Orbis’ sight-saving work on Sunday, November 19.

The Great Ethiopian Run is a 10-kilometre race that will see members of the Orbis team line up alongside over 40,000 competitors to celebrate Ethiopia's national sport.

Since 2008, Orbis Ireland has brought over 500 participants to Addis Ababa for the run and to visit life-saving eye care projects in southern Ethiopia, raising over €1 million for the sight-saving work.

Each participant raised €4,000 for Orbis Ireland before embarking on the trip, and they are on target to generate €100,000 for the vital work of saving the sight of thousands of people in some of the poorest regions of southern Ethiopia.

Speaking ahead of the Great Ethiopian Run, Tom said he ‘couldn’t pass up the opportunity to help the charity’ after hearing about the event.

“With so much going on in the world, being able to help a charity doing vital work is something that I am very happy about,” he said.

“The prospect of witnessing Orbis’ work firsthand and the unique opportunity to train with elite Ethiopian runners adds an extra layer of excitement.”

The event holds a special significance for Orbis Ireland, as over a third of children in Ethiopia are affected by Trachoma, a blinding yet completely preventable eye disease.

In 2023, the group of Orbis supporters is made up of employees from several companies including Avolon, AerCap, Airbus, CDB Aviation, Falko and PWC. These generous companies are sponsoring their employees, meaning even more of their fundraising efforts are donated to Orbis. 

Speaking ahead of the Great Ethiopian Run, Clare O’Dea, Chairperson at Orbis Ireland, said the trip was ‘not only important in raising funds for Orbis but also in showing the group our vital work in Ethiopia’.

“On behalf of everyone in Ethiopia, whose lives have been changed is due to their generosity, stamina and endurance - thank you,” she said.

Orbis Ireland is part of Orbis International, a non-profit global development organisation working to eliminate avoidable blindness in the world’s most poverty-stricken regions.

This is achieved by teaching sight-saving skills to thousands of eye care professionals on board the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital and in local hospitals, who then pass on their expertise to others. 

ENDS