The LifeCycle (Malta) Foundation held an indoor cycling challenge on March 10, World Kidney Day, and is organising a walk event on Sunday, March 13, in Naxxar, which is open to the public.
Both events are aimed at raising awareness of the foundation’s LifeCycle and LifeWalk annual challenges, supported by NESCAFÉ Malta, which raise funds for kidney failure patients in Malta.
Some 15 participants rode an accumulated distance of approximately 600 kilometres on indoor bicycles on World Kidney Day, which is almost three times the distance between Sicily and Malta.
The challenge took place some months ahead of the foundation’s annual gruelling LifeCycle event scheduled for the end of the year in Argentina, where LifeCyclers will complete the almost 2,000-kilometre trip from Buenos Aires to Santiago (October 31 to November 14) to pool together donations for kidney disease patients.
The distance completed on World Kidney Day by each LifeCycler is 40 kilometres, which equates to the distance between the checkpoints of the NESCAFÉ LifeCycle Challenge 2022. In total, there will be five checkpoints with average daily distances between 160-200km over a period of 10 days. This year, the challenge is back on to chasing distances after two years of hiatus due to the pandemic.
However, despite the difficulties, the NESCAFÉ LifeWalk Challenge 2021 was held, in which some 32 participants took the herculean trial of walking more than 150 kilometres in only four days, trekking by the Hadrian’s Wall in the UK.
Honouring this new challenge, LifeWalkers are organising a walk on March 13, welcoming the public to tag along and raise awareness for the charity organisation’s mighty cause. The walk starts at Hilltop Gardens at 7am and after completing approximately 12 kilometres, it will finish at Naxxar Hilltop Gardens were refreshments will be offered to participants by NESCAFÉ.
Alan Curry, founder of LifeCycle (Malta) Foundation, said: “The coronavirus pandemic has caused ample grief to us all. The past two years have also set us back to challenge ourselves and raise awareness and funds for people in Malta who suffer from a kidney disease. However, now we are leading out for a LifeWalk event in the UK during the summer and a LifeCycle event in Argentina at the end of the year when we will get back on the saddle once again.”
World Kidney Day, launched in 2006, is a global campaign aimed at raising awareness of the importance of kidney and overall health in order to reduce the impact of kidney diseases and their associated health issues worldwide.
NESCAFÉ LifeWalk Challenge is a project created by the NESCAFÉ LifeCycle Challenge Malta (VO No. 0529) which supports R.U.S.H. − The Renal Unit Support Hub. At present, R.U.S.H. also provides external help to renal patients, including free transport to evening treatment, free fitness sessions, free counselling advice and are now helping the foundation in creating a wishlist for the year to come.
LifeCycle (Malta) Foundation, the only NGO raising money to support renal patients in Malta, works hand in hand with the Renal Unit medical staff at Mater Dei Hospital and the UM’s kidney disease research team via the University’s Research Trust (RIDT). LifeCycle Foundation also generates awareness about organ transplants in Malta.
Donations to the LifeCycle (Malta) Foundation can be made by Revolut on 9932 9101, by PayPal on this link: https://buff.ly/35g17CC and via sms: 5061 7370 = €2.33; 5061 8920 = €6.99; 5061 9229 = €11.65; or via a call to 5160 2020 = €10, 5170 2005 = €15; and 5180 2006 =€25.
Bank details are Swift code VALLMTMT, IBAN MT 18 VALL 22013000000014814521017, Bank name Bank of Valletta, Account number 14814521017. For more information, one can visit lifecyclefoundation.com or fb.com/LifeCycleChallenge.