All over the country today, in over 90 locations, people were getting up at ungodly hours to support Pieta House. At Naas Racecourse 70 students along with Mr. Maloney, Mr. Corcoran, Mr. Carroll, Mr. O’Domhnaill, Ms. O’Loughlin and Mr Leahy SJ walked or ran 5 kilometres in the annual ‘Darkness into Light’.
Darkness into Light is one of Pieta House’s many ways of raising awareness for Mental Health issues, which affects many people in Ireland. This was its seventh year and its biggest attendance to date, with over 120,000 participants wearing their yellow t-shirts facing the cold damp morning.
Mr Corcoran, in a morning prayer based on Mental Health a few days before the event, put forward the idea of students donating and participating for such a worthy cause. This received a great response from all students as mental health touches so many families in Ireland.
We set off from the college, dark and early, at 3:15am to make our way to Naas. For such an early hour, there was great excitement and anticipation. With little traffic on the roads, we made it to the racecourse in no time. Everyone went to register and get their t-shirt and then tried to stay warm by the heaters. We began at 4:15am. Once we crossed the finish line, there was a great sense of achievement.
We would like to extend our gratitude to Mr. Ray Lenihan who provided a very special breakfast for all of us when we returned. Also a huge thank you to Mr. Maloney and Mr. Corcoran for organising such a fantastic morning.
By David Jeffares & Cathal Duff
Photo Mr Colm Maloney
