Over 600 people take part in annual Cork Santa Cycle

Over 500 participants donned Santa suits and decorated their bikes with fairy lights to take part in the 2023 RDJ LLP Cork Santa Cycle on the streets of Cork on Sunday the 3rd of December.

This is the seventh year of the event, which saw a group of Santas cycle a 7k route around the city centre.

Connie Wiseman from sponsors and organisers RDJ told The Echo: “429 Santas registered but the count ended up over 600 so we gained lots of people along the way which is lovely.

“It’s a gorgeous start to Christmas for everyone, you get to be Santa for the night, lots of people come out to see it and you get to wave to all the kids.” 

It was the largest Santa cycle in Ireland, with Wiseman explaining: “It started seven years ago in Cork and Dublin and Cork has beaten Dublin every time even though it’s a smaller city which is great!” 

This year’s cycle was in aid of Cork ARC, a cancer support service, with Wiseman, who works with RDJ, the sponsors of the annual Cork Santa Cycle, explaining: “We sit down every year and pick a different charity based on needs.” 

It is one of two events ran for Cork ARC, the first of which, FloorTech Malin to Mizen, raised nearly €50,000 and the RDJ LLP CorkSantaCycle on Sunday raising €26,000, meaning they have raised over €75k in total.

Karen O Sullivan, the Development Manager at Cork ARC told The Echo: “Cork ARC Cancer Support House are very grateful to be the beneficiaries of this magical event - as always we are in awe of the generous nature of those who support our organisation.

“The funds raised from The Santa Cycle will go directly into supporting those with a cancer diagnosis and their loved ones.

“We offer our services free of charge to those who need it and we can't do what we do without the people of Cork supporting us”, she continued, thanking RDJ, Azure Jewellers and Cross Refrigeration for organising and sponsoring the event as well as all those who donated.