Pieta 100 Cycle comes to Kerry this Sunday

THE Kerry leg of this year’s PIETA 100 cycle will take place next Sunday, commencing at Rathmore GAA club at 9am. Last year’s event was held in three locations and such was its success, organisers have added six additional locations this time round.

Last year, the inaugural running of the event raised almost €100,000. Such funds help to ensure Pieta’s life-saving counselling service remains free of charge.

Outside of Kerry, respective 50k and 100k cycles will be held in Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Kilkenny, Carlow, Limerick, Tipperary, Offaly and Waterford.

Earlier this year, Aviva Ireland employees selected Pieta House as their charity partner for the next two years. Incorporated in the two year plan is a vision to make the Pieta 100 cycle a 32-county event. Pieta House CEO, Brian Higgins is hoping that given time, the event will eventually generate similar sums of money for the organisations as its annual, Darkness into Light walks.

Rugby personalities David Wallace, Jenny Murphy and Brent Pope were joined by cyclist Martyn Irvine and Today FM presenter Paula MacSweeney at the Aviva Stadium to promote the cycles.

Mr Higgins, says the event is “an exciting thing to be involved in” and the core value of the event is about “engaging with people and sitting alongside them on a journey that can take as long as it needs to for that person”.

He also highlights, “The Pieta 100 is open to individuals and teams, but everyone is in this together – it’s not a race”. “It’s about starting and finishing a journey in a time that suits you and that’s a reflection of how our work at Pieta House is done”.

Some 1,500 people took to the saddle last year and organisers are hoping that this year’s figures will be in the region of 5,000.