NUACHTÁN SAOR IN AISCE VOL.19 Issue 5. 07 NOV 2017
Port na bPucaí
Student Independent News Photo credit: Aengus McMahon
Ready, set, go!
Sign up for NUI Galway Students’ Union charity 5k run By Aoife O’Donoghue
‘Song of the Spirits’ Macnas parade celebrates art and culture in the city. See inside for more photos.
LET’S BEAT RAG WEEK! Students’ Union aim to break fundraising records this year By Sorcha O’Connor Students’ Union President Lorcán Ó Maoileannaigh has revealed this year’s Students’ Union are hoping their fundraising efforts for charities AMACH! and Domestic Violence Response will compete with the olden days of RAG week. The current record stands at over €30,000 and the team in Áras na Mac Léinn have a number of events planned for the rest of the semester, with everything from a petting farm to running the roads organised to enter the record books while raising some much-needed funds. “As far as we’ve gone back the record for the most money raised by the Students’ Union is €32,500 and that is going back to the days of RAG week when there was a whole week dedicated to raising money,” explained Lorcán.
“This year we are looking to run as many charity events throughout the year and that’s the initiatives such as the run day and the charity boxing.” The main event is set to be the showdown between NUI Galway and GMIT in the Radisson Blu Hotel at 8pm on 22 November. NUI Galway students will be stepping into the ring later this month to face off their rivals in GMIT. According to Lorcán, it’s set to be a night to remember. “The white collar boxing is about pride, going up against GMIT!” he said. “Hopefully it’ll turn into an annual event. We have 1200 tickets to sell, so hopefully we will make a lot of money from that.” There will be 15 fights in total on the night, with Lorcán also taking on his GMIT counterpart Mark O’Brien at the event.
The rumble in the Radisson will raise funds not only for NUI Galway SU’s chosen charities but also Galway Hospice, Hand in Hand, Milford Care Centre, and Special Olympics Ireland. Tickets can be purchased from the Students’ Union for €25 or €15 for students. Training has been going well according to Lorcán, with fighters putting in the hours in the boxing club in Oughterard, as well as additional practise in GMIT and the Bailey Allen Hall. The Students’ Union Christmas Day is also scheduled for Thursday 16 Novemeber, with festivities kicking off at 10am in Sult. There will be Christmas jumpers and some merry tunes aplenty, all in order to raise money for charity. Lorcán explained to SIN that the fun-filled day usually garners roughly €10,000, and said it would hopefully be as successful this time round.
On Sunday 12 November, the Students’ Union is inviting one and all to lace up their runners, get out and get moving for a good cause. They will be hosting a charity run day on campus where they want students, staff and locals alike to “run, jog, walk or crawl a charity 5k”. The race starts at the Alice Perry Engineering Building at 10am. Registration for the event will open at 8.30 AM that morning at the Engineering Building, with pre-registration also available online at www.Popupraces.ie. Registration fees are €10 for students and €15 for non-students, with a small surcharge for online registration. While it is set to be quite the professional affair, with all competitors having their run chip-timed, Students’ Union President Lorcán Ó Maoileanaigh told SIN the event will foster a “community feel” among runners. “For the run day, we’re trying to incorporate students, staff and the community, for them all to take part … there is a community feel to it,” said Lorcán. And whether you sprint home or crawl over the finish line, a free goodie bag will be provided for all finishers. Lorcán hoped that people would turn out to help the Students’ Union in their bid to raise much needed funds for charity. All proceeds from the event will go towards this year’s chosen SU charities, Domestic Violence Response and AMACH! LGBT. Domestic Violence Response (DVR) is a community led organisation based in Oughterard, Co. Galway that responds to the needs of women and children affected by abusive or violent behaviour in the home and work towards a long-term plan for the eradication of domestic violence. AMACH! LGBT is a volunteer organisation in Galway city whose work involves representing and advocating on behalf of the county’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Their aim is for a socially inclusive and safe community. As the chosen SU charities, they will receive all proceeds from this year’s fundraising efforts. If running isn’t your thing but you’d still like to get involved, you can sign up to volunteer at the event. Just get in touch with the Students’ Union over in Áras na Mac Léinn or apply at www. studentvolunteer.ie.