Almost 200 cyclists help raise €120,000 for Friends of the Coombe

Almost 200 cyclists help raise €120,000 for Friends of the Coombe

The 31st annual Galway Cycle took place as a tribute to the compassionate care given to bereaved parents and families.

Friday 6th April 2018: Almost 200 cyclists left Maynooth University early that morning on a 200 km journey which saw them pedal to Galway in a bid to raise €120,000 for the charity Friends of the Coombe,  to enable it to help the Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital develop hospice-style bereavement suites to create a family-friendly home away from home for bereaved parents. 



Text the word GALWAYCYCLE to 50300 to donate €4 towards this important project.  

Since it was first established in 1987 by a group of students at St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth, the annual Galway Cycle has covered more than 12,000 kms of road and raised in excess of €1.5 million for a host of children’s charities.

This year's charity partnership was inspired by the story of baby Tom Fahey who died of an uncommon chromosomal abnormality when he was just 11 days old.  And it was the compassionate care that baby Tom and his family received from the Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital that moved Maynooth-based mum and dad Sarah and Terry Fahey to nominate the charity for this year's Galway Cycle partnership.

Maynooth Students for Charity Galway Cycle 2018

President of the Galway Cycle, sociology and geography student at Maynooth University, Ciara Keogh said that the enthusiasm of volunteers and supporters alike over the last number of months has been both incredible and humbling. 

"Today is the culmination of months of hard work, not just on the part of the Galway Cycle 2018 committee, but also the almost 200 cyclists and supporters who have been engaged in a host of training and fundraising activities,"" she said.

"We may have a 200 km road ahead of us, but we also have a weekend of fun, friendship and fundraising in aid of a cause that has captured all our hearts over the last number of months."

Baby Tom's parents Sarah and Terry Fahey said it was an honour to be able to support Friends of the Coombe. 

"We can hardly believe that the weekend has arrived," said Sarah Fahey.

"We have been so warmly embraced by the Galway Cycle family, all of whom have been so supportive of us and of Friends of the Coombe. We will never forget the care Tom and we, as a family, received from the staff at The Coombe.  They played such an important role in Tom's life.  They cared for us and supported us.  They shared our journey,"" she said.

"And so, we all come together this weekend as a family of cyclists, in remembrance of all bereaved parents and families, and as a tribute to the compassionate care The Coombe provides to all families who experience the loss of a baby."

Ailbhe Gilvarry, chairperson of Friends of the Coombe said that the charity is indebted to the Fahey family for nominating Friends of the Coombe for this partnership.

"It has been a privilege for us to work alongside the Galway Cycle committee over the past number of months,"" she said.

"This is an incredibly important project for Friends of the Coombe.  The Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital was the first maternity hospital in Ireland to adopt the 'Hospice Friendly Hospitals' programme and we hope that the creation of a family-friendly home away from home will not only benefit bereaved families at The Coombe, but will also showcase nationally the highest possible standard of bereavement care."

Having cycled the 200 km to Galway today, cyclists took to the streets of Galway tomorrow to shake collection buckets and entertain shoppers before heading back to Maynooth on the Sunday morning.

Those who would like to support the Galway Cycle and the Friends of the Coombe bereavement project they should visit www.galwaycycle.ie for more details.

Maynooth Students for Charity Galway Cycle 2018
Maynooth Students for Charity Galway Cycle 6th-8th April 2018 have teamed up with Friends of the Coombe to raise €120,000 to help the Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital develop hospice-style bereavement suites to create a family-friendly home away from home for bereaved parents

Text the word GALWAYCYCLE to 50300 to donate €4 towards this important project.

Terms and Conditions:  Texting the word GALWAYCYCLE to 50300 will donate €4 to the Friends of the Coombe Galway Cycle campaign. Text costs €4. Friends of the Coombe will received a minimum of €3.60. Service Provider: LIKECHARITY Helpline 076 680 5278

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