There was great determination and wit in Wexford recently as the community gathered in droves to support the annual 24-hour Splash-a-thon.
Each year, the community gathers at the Leisure Centre of the Ashdown Park Hotel in Gorey, to keep the pedals moving on pool bikes placed in the water for 24 hours, to raise vital funds for Cycle Against Suicide.
Organised by Joe Dixon, he marked the fundraiser an outstanding success, where he was absolutely delighted with the show of support over the 24 hours as over 220 people pedalled it out in the pool.
“We had an extremely successful day, we had over 220 participants on the day ranging from sports clubs to community groups,” he said.
Joe managed to stay at the leisure centre for the entire 24h-hour period alongside the manager, and although it was tiresome at times, Joe said it was all worth it for the cause.
“Once we got back into 5 a.m., when groups started coming in numbers again, we had a fantastic time – they would lift you up.”
Community groups created playful activities to support the splash-a-thon where some supporters arrived in pyjamas and jumped in the water. Staff from the Ashdown Pak Hotel also participated by jumping in wearing their uniforms.
With donations continuing to come in, Joe said the fundraiser has raised over €6,000 at present, while the figure is expected to increase.
“The money is one thing. When you meet people and talk with them about mental health and maybe what they have been through. Chatting on the bike or at the poolside about how they feel this event supports them is equally amazing,” Joe said.
He further said more bikes had to be added to the pool during certain times to accommodate for the demand of the locals to support the event.
A longtime advocate for Cycle Against Suicide, Joe has fundraised extensively over the years, including taking on a challenging trek in the Italian Dolomite mountains twice.
Locally, he has organised the pool-based Splash-a-thons for many years, bringing multiple cycling events to the area and has even hosted the National Orange Tie Ball twice.
Now in its eight year, Joe said the support remains strong as over 220 people came out on the day, with new faces joining every year. “People can travel quite some distance. One man came down on the bus from Dublin in his 70s to get on the bike and cycle for an hour. It has a meaning to a lot of people,” Joe added.
For this year’s fundraiser, students at Tara Hill National School and Bunscoil Loreto for their contributions to the fundraiser, as students designed posters which depicted what made them feel the happiest in life.
Joe thanked the community for their support, with special thanks to the Lesiure Club at the Ashdown Park Hotel for their continued hospitality and support of the vital fundraiser.
Cycle Against Suicide is a charity with supports mental health and suicide prevention. It works through awareness, education and training to build understanding of mental health.
© Gorey Guardian