Downton Abbey star Allen Leech launches sudden death charity run for pal who died from syndrome

SUNDAY WORLD.COM
Friday 21st March 2014
● NEWSBy Eugene Masterson

DOWNTON Abbey star Allen Leech was back in his hometown of Dublin today to call on Irish ladies to run, jog or walk for CRY Ireland.

Allen - who plays Tom Branson in the hit period drama Downton - lent his support to CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) at the sixth annual CRY Pure Style Fashion Luncheon in association with Arnotts today.

And the event has an extra personal signifcance for Allen as he reveals a personal friend died of the syndrome.

 The annual event, which has become a staple of the Irish fashion calendar, took place at the Shelbourne Hotel today.

While he was in town Allen posed for photographs to promote the charities drive to get participants of the Flora Mini Marathon to run for CRY on June 2.

Allen was a close personal friend of teenager Peter Greene who died of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome in 1996.

Devastated by his death his parents Michael and Marie Greene set up the charity CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) in 2002 to support other families who lost loved ones to Sudden Cardiac Death.

The Cry Pure Style fund-raising  fashion show event is held annually in aid of CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young), with the funds raised going towards the invaluable work that is ongoing at the Centre for Cardiac Risk in Young Persons in Tallaght Hospital.

“I am delighted to attend this event today and show my support to Michael and Marie Greene and to honour the memory of my friend Peter. CRY is a fantastic and life-saving charity and a most worthy cause,” he says. “I would call on those thinking of running the marathon this year to run it for CRY.”


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