Events – Lifecycle Foundation

Challenge Launch Tomorrow

Julian — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 15:49:28 +0000

This year’s LifeCycle Challenge will be launched tomorrow, Monday 25th March 2013, in the company of Malta’s health minister Dr Godfrey Farrugia. The launch will be held at Chic Physique fitness studio at 5pm, and everyone is welcome. See you there! Click here for location details of Chic Physique.

A Fundraiser Down Under

Julian — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 19:59:46 +0000

The ‘Klabb Ghannejja Maltin’ based in St Albans, Victoria, Australia are organising a dance evening to raise funds for the challenge, scheduled to take place on the evening the challenge finishes in neighbouring Melbourne. The aim is for some of the challenge participants to attend, though they may not have much energy left for dancing…

This year’s preparations get off the ground

Julian — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 09:14:40 +0000

Today marks the first team briefing for the participants of the 2012 Betfair LifeCycle Challenge, which takes place in November this year in the form of a 10-day, 2000km ride in south east Australia. Then, on Sunday (24th June), the first of our training rides around Malta takes place. If you’re driving on the coast road on Sunday morning, please be especially careful when passing cyclists since some of our participants may not be as experienced as others. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the sponsors who have so far donated or agreed to donate. Your generosity and support makes the challenge possible – without you there would be no LifeCycle Challenge. And if you’re a participant, we’ll see you tonight!

Video of the 2012 challenge launch

Julian — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 09:19:36 +0000

A short video filmed at the launch of the 2012 Betfair LifeCycle Challenge. [youtube]aQHlBZJ_7ts[/youtube]

LifeCycle Challenge flight information

Julian — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 11:13:32 +0000

In previous years the LifeCycle team has been given a great send-off and welcome back at Malta International Airport by friends, relatives and well-wishers, and we’re hoping this year will be no different. The flight information for this year’s Challenge is given below, and we’d love to see you if you can spare a little time to cheer us on.

Departure: Friday 12 August at 12:45 (checking in 2 hours before)

Arrival: Friday 26 August at 22:10

LifeCycle meets with political leaders

Julian — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 14:46:43 +0000

The people involved in the 2011 Betfair LifeCycle Challenge today (Saturday 16th July) paid a courtesy visit to the Leader of the Opposition Joseph Muscat at One Productions, followed by a visit to the Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi at his office in Castille. The delegation included around 20 of the cyclists, the back-up team who support the participants prior to and throughout the event, and members of the LifeCycle Foundation council. Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi told the team: “LifeCycle’s aim to contribute to the Renal Unit carries a strong significance. Our hospital, which is equipped with the best medical team and infrastructure, still requires a strong degree of voluntary work to augment our patients’ quality of life. This year is the European Year of Volunteering, and your visit to the Office of the Prime Minister is a sign of the public’s appreciation for the dedication and commitment of all those who give their time for a cause.” Dr Muscat had earlier welcomed the team and expressed his appreciation for the wonderful cause that they were supporting, as well as for the commitment and determination shown. This year’s challenge – the 13th edition – will see the participants follow a grueling 2,000km route from Prague to Sarajevo, which will go through 7 countries. En route, they will be camping out in very basic accommodation organised with the help of Malta’s diplomatic missions, and each participant must raise enough money to cover the cost of their own participation as well as a substantial amount of sponsorship. This, combined with the generosity of those who donate through the SMS campaign, mean that each event raises a considerable amount of money – over €1 million since the first challenge – all for the Renal Unit at Mater Dei. There are currently around 235 patients on dialysis in Malta. Since each session lasts four hours and many patients need to be treated 3 times a week (some need treatment on alternate days and even daily), so the use of home units makes a tremendous difference to patients’ quality of life. Among the many things purchased by LifeCycle are such home units (used by 45% of the patients) but there are many other ways in which the sessions can be made more bearable – such as the provision on TV sets in the unit – and ways to help patients monitor their dietary and liquid intake, both major factors in their well-being. In fact, the current challenge may be used to raise money for a nutritionist and psychologist. Last year, LifeCycle raised €215,000 of which €135,000 went directly into the Renal Unit for Life saving equipment. Paul Calleja, Nursing Officer in charge Renal Unit and transplant coordinator at Mater Dei Hospital commented: “Although the government has always supported the Renal Unit with all its requirements, Lifecycle has extended this support throughout its 13 years of existence. Besides the various lifesaving equipment, refurbishment at the old Renal Unit at SLH and purchasing of plasma TVs, LifeCycle has also sponsored patients to Lourdes and various day outs throughout the years. “The introduction of full time support services like a clinical nutritionist and physiologist is being requested now. Sponsoring of staff to European conferences on renal nursing nephrology might also be another option. “As I mentioned, the patients are well being taking care of with regards to equipment and professional assistance, but the continuing support that LifeCycle gives to these patients to day outs and Lourdes pilgrims are the cherries on the cake.” It is important to note that patients require dialysis for a number of reasons. Kidney failure can result from everything from diabetes to trauma, and from infections to cancer. Once kidneys fail, the only way to return to a “normal life” is to have a successful transplant but this requires a donor kidney that perfectly matches the patient. In 2010, there were only 11 transplants from cadavers and 7 from living donors. So far this year, there have already been 11 transplants from cadavers and 4 from live donors. At the moment, the youngest person on dialysis is 17-years-old.

LifeCycle Pizza Night

Julian — Thu, 12 May 2011 07:08:32 +0000

This year’s social and fundraising events continue with a LifeCycle Pizza Night, to be held on Friday 20th May at Dimples Bar, Mosta (16 September Square, near the Cornerstone shopping complex). All details on the poster below – come along, bring your friends, support LifeCycle and have a great evening! Stop Press: now a Facebook event – click the poster to RSVP.

Live and unplugged for LifeCycle

Julian — Fri, 06 May 2011 13:38:49 +0000

Join us for a relaxed afternoon on Mother’s day, Sunday 8th May, enjoy the great bands and donate as much as you can! This great event has been set up on Facebook – click the poster to go to the event page.

Please welcome LifeCycle (Malta) Foundation

Julian — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 20:51:51 +0000

Today, Thursday 21st April 2011, the LifeCycle Organisation finally became a Foundation.

Alan Curry signs the Foundation deed

The ex-LifeCycle Organisation committee members – myself, Tony Bugeja, Shirley Cefai, Gilbert Vassallo, Soner Gurelli and Jennifer Chetcuti met in the offices of International Management Services Ltd and signed the Foundation deed in the presence of lawyer Dr Kathleen Zarb Adami, notary Elisa Falzon and company director Gordon Mifsud. An historic and somewhat emotional moment saw 13 years of work culminate in LifeCycle becoming a legal entity with its aims set in stone. Myself and Tony Bugeja form the supervisory council of the Foundation, along with Tim Peco, who kept in touch with the meeting by phone from his current home in Sweden. This is the start of a fresh chapter for LifeCycle. There are so many memories to carry into the new era, but the team will remember today’s milestone for a long time.

Team members at the deed signing

On behalf of the Foundation members and our beneficiaries the renal patients, I would like to thank everyone that helped us make this happen, in particular International Management Services, all of whose professionals gave their services free of charge. Alan R Curry

2011 Challenge dates confirmed!

Julian — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 06:07:43 +0000

Following negotiations with Lufthansa, we can now confirm the dates of the 2011 Betfair LifeCycle Challenge. The cyclists and backup team will fly out from Malta on Friday 12th August, and will return on Friday 26th August. With 18 cyclists confirmed and 9 backup personnel signed up so far, the team is growing quickly, and if you are interested in joining us for this year’s challenge you should apply or get in touch as soon as possible. The first team briefing for the challenge will be held on Wednesday 13th April, and all applications must be in before then.