Proceeds raised by WIT’s 2008 RAG Week will be evenly distributed to the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland and the Irish Cancer Society.
The event, which runs from February 25th to Thursday the 29th, aims to engage the student body in a more energised manner than previous editions, according to WIT Students Union President Shane Kelly.
“We’re pulling out all the stops this year,” he said. “We’re working hard to provide the students with something different this time around and we’ve literally got hundreds of people helping put together the extensive range of events we’re planning for the week.”
Shane Kelly said there were several factors involved in selecting WITSU’s charities of choice this year.
“We wanted to assist the Irish Cancer Society for several reasons, chief among them the fact that it’s a disease which has touched practically every family in the region; they’re a very representative group. And the money raised during RAG Week will be spent on initiatives that the Society is pursuing in the south-east.
“CF is something that we feel very strongly about in WITSU. We’ve had a few students in recent years that have been forced to give up their studies because of complications due to CF and given the increased recent public prominence it’s received and how many young people are affected by it, we felt it was incumbent that we did something.”
Both bodies are looking forward to the pending boost that their funds will receive.
“We’re absolutely delighted,” said Martin Cahill of the Cystic Fibrosis Association. “We’re very pleased to have been chosen as beneficiaries from this event, particularly since we are the organisation responsible for pursuing treatments and cures for CF and are totally dependant on public donations to carry out that work.”
Margaret O’Sullivan, area co-ordinator for the Irish Cancer Society, sounded a similar note of welcome.
“Thrilled,” said Ms. O’Sullivan when asked for a reaction. “We can never get enough funding and we’re always tremendously thankful for any assistance we receive, be it financial or through publicity.
“We’re deeply grateful and on behalf of all patients I would like to sincerely thank the Students Union for pledging RAG Week funds to the Society.
“And when you engage younger people to our cause the way that the students at WIT have thanks to this decision, it’s enormously helpful to us in the long term.”
Daffodil Day, the Society’s annual national fundraiser, will be held on Friday, March 7th.
