The Bra Walk 3.0

Hi guys!!

On April 25th just gone, my friends in the DIT (Dublin Institute of Technology) Camping Society hosted their 3rd annual "Bra Walk" in aid of Action Breast Cancer...

The poster advertising the Bra Walk III

Back-Story: 3 years ago, the DIT Camping Soc hosted the first Bra Walk, to raise funds for the Irish Cancer Society, after Maeve Breslin (whose mum is currently battling cancer) came up with the idea of a fun, eye-catching way to raise money and call attention to the need to donate to this fantastic charity in a memorable, and tongue-in-cheek kind of way. This brilliant fundraiser was her brainchild!

The Bra Walk was a roaring success in its first year. It was fun for the walkers, and it was helping people who really need not only treatment, but also financial assistance during their time in and out of hospital. It was win-win.

Last year the walk was bigger, better and it raised yet more money than in it did in its first year to help the sufferers of breast cancer, and educate the public that breast cancer (the second most common cancer in Irish women), like the walkers clad in bras littering Dublin, can't be ignored.

So lets get onto the business at hand; This years walk.

Duck Norris (our mascot) and Nick

The Committee decided to meet in DIT's Auinger St campus around 11am (or so) and get set up. Since I'm always late for everything, I rolled in with Chris in tow at 11.15am-ish and immediately disrobed down to the mandatory bra. Everyone had been there a while and most of the gang were loitering in their over-the-shoulder-boulder-holders and the lovely Jordan was diligently applying pink face-paint on everyone, and tying ribbons on people to help incorporate the pink theme into all the walkers. When everything was ready to go, and all the walkers assembled, painted and decorated to perfection, it was time for photos and off we went.

Pre-Walk Photo-op!!

2 teams were devised, and we split up in order to cover the Temple-Bar/Central Bank area, and Grafton St. Mo' collection points, mo' money, honey!! I was on the Grafton St team, as I was in the first year, and our team covered the whole street pretty evenly! Two collectors on the Suffolk St entrance, two in the middle and two up near the park entrance. 

Grafton St Group :D

The bucket collection was run from around 12/12.30 to 3pm. All over Grafton St you could hear the walkers calling out "Support 'Action Breast Cancer'!!", along with other slogans in the hopes of enticing people to give even the smallest donation. When the duck mascot made it over from the other team, I can definitively say that I tried to get people to donate, and "Make the duck dance!"... It didn't work, sadly.

Myself and Chris collecting on Grafton St

 3pm flew around and suddenly Bra Walk 2013 was over. We headed back to the room in Auinger St where we set up and counted the buckets, with the aid of a coin counter. When the buckets were counted, there was €1500+. After 3 hours, that is pretty impressive. Everyone had shook the bejesus out of their buckets, hollered til they were hoarse, and all the while being given funny looks, odd compliments, and even a few childish comments from the less mature passers by.

Georgia working hard!! (Nick took this photo)

 It has to be said, some people (mostly men, though not always) stared, and made stupid comments. But most people who donated said how brave we were, how we must have been so cold standing around in the almost-nip! It's a cool feeling knowing you are standing on one of Dublin's busiest streets in your underwear.

Some of the Temple Bar group with Duck :)

All in all, though the final figure is yet to come in, due to sponsorship cards not being due for another few days (thanks for that btw Nick, you saved my ass on that front!!) the walk was yet again, a great day for the walkers, and a great help for ABC and the Irish Cancer Society.

Huge props go to Maeve, Nick, and Chris for organizing the first one, because its been a great start to summer for the last 3 years. People who suffer for cancer are not the only people to benefit from this fundraising, it raises awareness in the public, and it helps the families of those affected by cancer.

You guys rock!!

FUCK CANCER!!

Le Grá,
Amy,
xo