Students and staff take a giant leap for RAG Week

Imperial students and staff take a giant leap to raise money for charity as part of RAG Week

RAG Week at Imperial launched in a spectacular, if slightly nerve-wracking, fashion with a mass bungee jump on Monday from a crane on the Queen’s Lawn. Despite snow and freezing temperatures, 125 students and staff braved the elements and took the plunge, launching themselves from a platform 180 feet high to raise money for charity.

President & Rector, Sir Keith O’Nions joined RAG Chair, David Goldsmith (Medicine), to open RAG Week and wish the first bungee jumper of the day, Sam Gharatchorlou (Physics), good luck. Speaking after the bungee jump, Sam said: “It was amazing, I was a little bit nervous when I got there but it was fine. I thought I’d do something a bit different so I jumped off backwards, it makes it a bit scarier, so that was fun.”

As well as bungee jumping, a bake sale, a range of musical and dance acts including cheerleaders and DJs were some of the other highlights on Monday. Whilst on Tuesday, a ‘cartoon collect’ took place – where teams dressed as their favourite cartoon characters race around London in a challenge to collect donations.

Callum Kirk (Medicine), RAG Treasurer said: “We’ve had an incredible response so far and the bungee jump was the perfect way to launch the week and attract everyone’s attention. There are still plenty of opportunities for people to get involved and show their support.”

A masquerade ball takes place on Thursday evening and on Friday there will be a movie night in the Union with food and drinks. Throughout the week RAG raffle tickets are being sold for £2 with prizes ranging from Chelsea home game tickets to a pub lunch with the Rector. A stall selling raffle tickets is based outside the Central Library for the rest of the week.

All the money raised will go to international development charity, Concern Universal, Breast Cancer Campaign and Richard House, a children’s hospice in Newham.

To find out more about RAG Week or to make a donation visit the RAG website.

For all the latest RAG week news and updates follow @ImperialRAG and @ImperialCollege on Twitter or visit the ICU Rag and Imperial College London pages on Facebook.

Slideshow and homepage photos courtesy of undergraduate Ben Lester (Life Sciences)