Start-ups to join suicide fundraiser
SLIGO start-up companies are joining forces to help prevent suicide.
The companies – many of whom are based at IT Sligo’s Innovation Centre and The Building Block in Sligo town– are coming together to run or walk Darkness Into Light in Sligo on May 12 th.
Darkness Into Light is a 5km event where participants start when it is still dark and finish with the sunrise — literally walking from Darkness Into Light.
It is Pieta House’s flagship annual fundraising and awareness event.
CampusConnect, BCR Comply and Frankli – the three companies who are organising the start-up collaboration – are still looking for companies to join them on the night – and, of course, for donations.
The overarching reason for organising the event was to raise funds for Pieta House and raise awareness of suicide and mental health issues.
However, organiser Declan Sweeney, says it is also a way for the businesses to do something together – and promote a healthier and happier business and start-up culture in the North West.
“According to Pieta House, eight people die by suicide in Ireland every week. That is an incredible statistic. A few of the owners of startups based in Sligo were talking about this and how some of us had been directly affected by suicide and we felt this would be a nice way to contribute,” said Mr Sweeney who is a co-founder of CampusConnect.
“We thought that by joining together to participate in Darkness Into Light would make us stronger – and help us raise more funds for such a great cause.
“We also felt that the North West is such a happy, healthy place in which to run a business yet those of us running start-ups are often working long hours and we wanted to take some time out to remember the importance of a work/life balance,” he said.
Darkness Into Light has become a movement across Ireland and all over the world. It started with just 400 people in Dublin’s Phoenix Park in 2009 and last year 180,000 people took part at 180 venues across the world.
Pieta House’s vision is to create a world where suicide, self-harm and stigma are replaced by hope, self-care and acceptance.
The Sligo event will start at the Knocknarea Arena at IT Sligo at 4.15am on Saturday May 12 th.
If you would like to join – or support - the companies, you can register and donate at https://dil2018.pieta.ie/fundraisers/sligostartupcommunity