UCD Relay for Life raises over €86,000 for the Irish Cancer Society
2 May 2025
A total of €86,789 has been presented to the Irish Cancer Society thanks to the efforts of this year’s UCD Relay for Life.
The money raised will go directly towards funding research and services of the Irish Cancer Society, such as night nurses and counselling for families affected by cancer all around Ireland.
A 24-hour fundraiser, UCD Relay for Life invites teams to have one member walking, hopping or running with a baton at all times. It is the biggest Relay for Life college event in the world outside of the United States.
In the lead-up to the fundraiser, bake sales were held on campus, with proceeds going towards the organisation of the event.
Additional initiatives during the lead-up included a movie screening to raise funds, as well as a ‘training in yellow’ initiative, which encouraged all UCD sports clubs to wear yellow during training sessions for one week to express support for the event.
Fitness content creator Iain Ward, also known as the ‘King of Chemo’, hosted a fitness class and gave a talk on his journey with cancer.
A Candle of Hope ceremony allowed those present to lay a candle along the relay track in memory of a loved one lost to cancer.
Themed laps during the relay included a fancy dress lap, an egg-and-spoon lap and a blindfolded lap.
The fundraising efforts were helped by Walk for Life, an organised walk across campus to support Relay for Life.
“We are all very proud to see how this year's Relay For Life UCD turned out,” said Jack Graham, co-chairperson of UCD Relay for Life.
“We are very grateful for the support of the entire UCD community, who helped us realise our goal and become the largest collegiate Relay For Life event outside of the USA ever. After months of planning, it was incredibly rewarding for the team to see such a large turnout of people remembering loved ones they have lost and fighting back against cancer.”
Since 2012, UCD Relay for Life has raised more than €266,000 for the Irish Cancer Society.
By: Rebecca Hastings, Digital Journalist, UCD University Relations
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
