Frontline medical staff at Cork University Hospital and throughout the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland will cycle to the Memorial Gardens at Islandbridge in Dublin this September to remember all those who have lost their lives to Covid-19. They also aim to raise €150,000 for those impacted by the secondary challenges of the pandemic.
The ICU4U event will see small teams of ICU doctors, nurses, paramedics, ambulance drivers, other healthcare staff and gardai depart from hospitals in Cork, Belfast, Galway, Limerick, Sligo and Waterford on September 2nd-3rd, with midway points in Dundalk, Athlone, Portlaoise and Kilkenny.
The cyclists will pass through as many community hospitals as possible en route to Dublin, collecting white roses along the way to represent lives lost to the virus.
At the end of the cycle on Friday, 3rd September, a brief commemoration ceremony will be held in line with public health restrictions at the Memorial Gardens Islandbridge.
The memorial will remember the victims of Covid-19 in front of 7000+ white roses, which will be displayed at the gardens for the weekend.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
On Saturday, 4th September members of the public will be invited to visit the commemoration site to take a rose and remember a loved one, making a charitable donation if they so wish.
The ICU4U event aims to raise more than €150,000 for four charities supporting people particularly affected by the pandemic – ALONE (supporting older people), Aware (mental health supports), and Aware NI (supports for overcoming depression and changing lives in Northern Ireland) and Breakthrough Cancer Research (funding new treatments for poor prognosis and difficult to treat cancers).
More than half of the fundraising target has already been reached through incredible corporate sponsorship
The event follows on from last year’s ICU4U fundraising cycle when doctors, nurses and staff from Ireland’s Intensive Care Units (ICU) successfully raised €120,000 for the charities.
At the time, many working in the ICU felt uncomfortable with being labelled heroic and wanted to turn the focus back on those most in need and help charities to raise funds to keep their services running.
PUBLIC HEALTH GUIDELINES
The 2-day ICU4U Cycle, which will strictly adhere to public health restrictions, is a collaboration between healthcare staff at The Mater Dublin, Cork University Hospital, The Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast, Galway University Hospital, Limerick University Hospital, Crumlin/Temple St, Sligo University Hospital, and Waterford University Hospital.
It will start from 6 locations in Cork, Belfast, Galway, Limerick, Sligo and Waterford on September 2nd and will end on September 3rd at the Memorial Gardens in Dublin.
ICU doctors, nurses and staff, and other frontline workers, are now calling on the public to help them exceed their €150,000 target.
To donate see icu4u.ie
