The Cycle of America Team would like to take this opportunity to say thanks to everyone who has donated money and time to helping our cause.  We have made lots of money for our charities and we hope this will continue with more fundraising events both here and in the USA .

We want to remind people as well that they can contribute in many ways to help in the fight against cancer.  While our aim for this cycle is to help raise as much money as we can for patient care, there are many other ways in which ordinary people like ourselves and you can help out.

• Platelets are small cells in your blood that allows your blood to clot properly.  Platelets are used to save the life of seriously ill patients, mostly cancer patients.  The procedure is simple, only takes an hour and doesn’t hurt- your blood is passed through a special machine that removes the platelets and then returned to you while the collected platelets are passed on to those who need it.  You can get straight back to your normal life and activities after given platelets.  An hour from your day may save someone’s life.  Please consider giving platelets if eligible.  Please log onto the Irish Blood Transfusion Board website for more details and to see if you qualify to donate: http://www.giveblood.ie/Become_a_Donor/Give_Platelets/Give_Platelets.html .  For those who do not meet qualifying criteria we urge you to consider giving blood on a regular basis if possible instead.

• You can also join the unrelated bone marrow registry.  Find out more at   http://www.giveblood.ie/Become_a_Donor/Bone_Marrow_Registry/

• Volunteering your time and skills is a very rewarding way to spend your spare few hours.  Instead of lounging around on the sofa or walking around shopping centres put a few of those hours you have spare to good use.  Volunteer your time by working at one of the ICS charity shops or become a volunteer at one of the ICS’s walk in Daffodil Services.