Mark Farren.
Soccer star Mark Farren is half-way towards raising the cash he needs for his cancer treatment after just three days.
The former Derry City striker, who underwent surgery for a third time last month, has been battling a brain tumour for six years and plans to travel to an elite cancer treatment centre in Germany.
The treatment will cost approximately €30,000 and an online funding page was set-up on Friday as the League of Ireland community rallies behind the 32-year-old.
So far a total of 567 backers have donated more than €18,000 to Mark’s fund.
Finn Harps have announced they will make a collection for the popular player during Friday’s clash with Waterford Utd at Finn Park.
There will also be bucket collections at all SSE Airtricity League grounds over the next two weeks.
Former Finn Harps manager Peter Hutton has urged people to donate what they can and support ‘a lovely young fellow’.
“It’s been a fantastic and duly deserved,” Hutton said. ”Mark’s been a stalwart and legend for the club, not just the club, but the League of Ireland in general. So it’s great that people have come out and shown that response.
“He’s a lovely young fellow, a real gent, and it’s sad that it it takes this for people to rally round, but it just shows the esteem he’s held in.
“Please God the money keeps coming in and he gets the treatment that he needs and hopefully he’s on the road to recovery then.”
Farren retired from football when he was first diagnosed in 2008 but made a remarkable return in 2011 and managed to break Liam Coyle’s goalscoring record before moving to Glenavon.
All donations can be made here and more information is available on markfarren.com
