The Irish Heart Foundation calls on the public to join their team in the fight against heart disease

Former Ireland footballer Kevin Kilbane and GAA player Mossy Quinn will go head to head in a five-a-side football match in support of the Irish Heart Foundation today (Tuesday 29 January 2019.)

The team at Off The Ball have taken up a challenge laid down by the charity – to organise the Perfect Match and raise funds to help the Irish Heart Foundation beat heart disease.

The Off The Ball Dubs vs Culchies five-a-side match will be broadcast at 12pm today on Off The Ball’s Facebook and YouTube channels.

The Irish Heart Foundation today launched the Perfect Match, its new Valentine’s themed fundraising challenge. This February, the charity is asking the whole country to show some heart by challenging a friend or rival to a football match – or any kind of match – in aid of the Irish Heart Foundation.

The Perfect Match campaign will see students take on teachers, sports clubs line out against their neighbouring rivals, and local communities go head to head, all with the goal of raising funds to beat one of Ireland’s biggest killers, heart disease.

Mr Tim Collins, CEO of the Irish Heart Foundation, said “Each year, nearly 10,000 people in Ireland die from heart disease, leaving behind devastated families and communities. 80 per cent of these deaths could be prevented and that’s what the Irish Heart Foundation is working to achieve.

“We’re delighted that these sporting legends Kevin Kilbane, Mossy Quinn, John Giles and Brian Kerr have joined our team in the fight to beat heart disease. Now we’re asking the people of Ireland to get involved and organise their own Perfect Match this February to raise funds for the Irish Heart Foundation. The money raised through this campaign will help us deliver our life-saving programmes like free CPR training, free community heart health checks and support groups for people affected by heart disease.”

Mr Ger Gilroy, Managing Director, Off The Ball said, “The team at Off The Ball is delighted to be involved with The Irish Heart Foundation’s Perfect Match campaign and help support and build awareness around the levels of heart disease in Ireland. We’re looking forward to a tough game today in The National Sports Campus, where Kevin Kilbane’s Off The Ball Culchies take on Mossy Quinn’s Off The Ball Dubs in a five-a-side match. We think it’s a great opportunity for you to challenge your local team to the Perfect Match and raise funds for The Irish Heart Foundation.”

If you can’t organise or take part in a fundraising match, you can still support the Irish Heart Foundation team this Valentine’s Day. The charity is holding a national bag pack in Dunnes Stores supermarkets across the country on Valentine’s Day and is recruiting volunteers who can spend a few hours of their time in their local store.