Engaging with Community and Organisations
UCC staff find an alternative way to come together in support of Darkness into Light
As the city and country got behind Pietas Sunrise Appeal, staff fundraiser for Pieta House, Preventing Suicide and Self Harm provided an opportunity for the campus to show their support for this important organisation as physical distancing prevented the 10th Darkness into Light Event from going ahead.
This year Pieta House have had to postpone their Darkness into Light event that was due to take place on 9 May. Many UCC staff and students missed being able to come together oon campus for this special event which has become an annual feature of the campus calendar. So when staff member Alan O'Keeffe reached out to colleagues about his own fundraiser, the campus community were only too happy to support.
Even though events can be cancelled or postponed, the critical suicide prevention and self harm counseling services that Peta House provides can not. Social distancing restrictions have hugely increased the demand on their services and anything we can do to help is appreciated. This why I set up a fundraising page on Facebook to raise money for this vital charity in these difficult times.
As I don’t expect my colleagues generosity to go unrewarded I both shaved my head and set myself the target to run 100km by 9 May.
Alan raised over €2,000 for Pieta House. The University also set up a dedicated donations page for staff and students.
In light of the recent events our UCC Darkness Into Light Walk which was scheduled for May 9 has been postponed until the autumn.
— UCC Ireland (@UCC) May 8, 2020
However, the services that Pieta provides to people in suicidal distress cannot be postponed.
See our donation page here:https://t.co/51KkEKFuz9
At the same time, the organising committee of the University College Cork (UCC) and Ballyvolane Darkness Into Light events, which attract thousands of people made, A Sunrise Appeal, inviting Cork residents to watch the sunrise from their homess on the morning of 9 May. This year would have been the 10th year of Cork’s Darkness Into Light events and organisers have said the walk has been rescheduled for October.
Physical distancing can be hard on all of use, so remember - reach out to friends and check up on one another.
You can donate at any time to Pieta House directly online at their website: https://www.pieta.ie/
If you are in need of crisis support you can find details for Pieta and other crisis supports on UCC's Keep Well site here - https://www.ucc.ie/en/keep-well/crisis/