Next January, over one hundred students from across UCD will be setting off on their 200km journey to raise tens of thousands for Crumlin Children’s Hospital. The Science Society’s annual Cycle to Galway is revving again, and we can’t wait to get going!
On the first weekend of semester two, our members will set off from Liffey Valley bright and early on Friday morning, continuing on until our lunch breaks at Maynooth, Enfield and Tyrellspass. Friday night, we get a hearty meal in The Athlone Springs, followed by an (optional) dip in the pool. At 8 am Saturday morning, we set off once more.
Roaring into the West, we will pass through Ballinasloe and Loughrea, among others, getting closer and closer to our goal. I can tell from experience, readers, that finally reaching Eyre Square on Saturday afternoon, you’ll be overwhelmed with pride, high spirits and most of all, relief.
Rain, hail or snow, we’ll be collecting hundreds of euro for Crumlin on Shop Street, in Eyre Square, and all around the City Centre. We finish off the Saturday with a night on the town in Galway, which is without a doubt the cheapest and best night out you’ll ever have in college.
In all honesty, the cycle can be tough. It is 200km, after all. However, you really shouldn’t be worried about the training aspect. The Science Society will be organising optional spin classes, and we recommend cycling for a few hours over the winter break. The distance is broken up into 20-30km stretches, so with even a small amount of practice, anyone can do it!
When I first decided to do the Cycle, I was daunted by the prospect of fundraising. Each cyclist is tasked with raising a minimum of €450, with €250 needed before the Cycle on 25th January. Personally, I found the fundraising went by incredibly quickly, with everyone being so generous in the lead up to Christmas. Along with three friends, I raised my share of almost €4,000, with just two backpacks in our hometowns. I urge you not to let this get in the way of the chance to make a huge difference.
Making a huge difference is what it’s all about. Crumlin Children’s Hospital does fantastic work for families all across the country, and each year, the cheque presentation is one of our favourite events. We get to hear about the boost the event gives to the Children’s Medical Research Foundation and knowing that all that support came from us feels like nothing else.
We hope to raise as much as €40,000 from the cycle this year, and to do that, we need as much help as we can get from students. So whatever you study, wherever you come from, get behind us and together we can change the lives of so many children and their families.
Keep an eye out for our emails, and find us on Facebook for more.
By Shane Gibbons – News Writer, Science Soc
