SFHR Charity Week raises ISK 1.22 million — President and Vice-President of RU to kayak to work

Reykjavik University’s Student Union (SFHR) raised ISK 1.22 million for Píeta during its Charity Week last week, surpassing its original fundraising goal of ISK 1 million.

Píeta is dedicated to suicide and self-harm prevention, and students, faculty and staff at Reykjavík University came together throughout the week to support the cause by taking part in a series of events and challenges.

As fundraising milestones were reached, members of the university community took on increasingly ambitious challenges. Among the highlights, Ragnhildur Helgadóttir, President of RU, and Bryndís Björk Ásgeirsdóttir, Vice-President of RU, will kayak to work tomorrow, Tuesday, September 15, at 9:00 a.m.

The two had pledged to make the journey if the fundraising total reached ISK 1 million. They will set off from the small-boat harbour at Kársnes and kayak across the bay to Nauthólsvík. RU students Ýmir Chatenay Sölvason and Veigar Hrafn Sigþórsson will join the challenge by swimming the same route to campus.

A week packed with events

Charity Week featured activities every day, bringing students and staff together in support of Píeta.

Highlights included a 200-person bingo event in Sólin, a clothing auction organised by Góði hirðirinn as part of Sustainability Day on September 9, and a lunchtime outdoor run. DJ and physician Doctor Victor also spoke about the importance of mental and physical health.

The week concluded with a special chess event featuring chess grandmaster Vignir Vatnar Stefánsson, who visited Sólin and played ten opponents simultaneously in support of Píeta.

From 24-hour challenges to tattoos

Students embraced the fundraising challenges with enthusiasm, taking on everything from endurance tests to more unusual feats.

The Marketing Council drove around Iceland within 24 hours, while two students completed a half marathon handcuffed together. Three students ran two marathons inside Sólin, and others marked their participation by getting tattoos—including SFHR tattoos and “God Bless Technis” tattoos.

Twenty-four-hour challenges proved popular. Two students spent an entire day inside the university, student association Tvíund hosted a 24-hour livestream at Next Level Gaming, and the student association Atlas spent the entire day in the swimming pool, from opening time until closing.