The annual RAGweek starts today. In contrast to the previous edition, the charity week is back on campus. The money that is raised will go towards Stichting Straatmensen and the Jerome Damey Foundation.

A beer cantus (a Dutch and Belgian fraternity tradition where you drink beer and sing songs) in the Goffert stadium, parties until deep into the night and food deals on campus and in the city centre. That, amongst other activities, is on the agenda during the RAGweek. The traditional calendar on which study boards pose almost naked is back as well. The same goes for the lottery. Furthermore, tens of different, smaller activities are organised by several study and student associations.

Relieved

The annually returning week in which students commit themselves to raise money for a good cause is a tradition at Radboud University. This year, the RAGweek will run from today until Wednesday March 16^th. Special about this edition is that there are no covid restrictions.

‘We are so relieved everything is allowed to be physical again,’ says chair of the RAGweek board Famke Reidinga. ‘Of course, last year was different, everything was online. For this year, we had several scenarios prepared, but luckily it’s going to be a real RAGweek.’

Orphans

This year, the money raised will go towards Stichting Straatmensen and the Jerome Damey Foundation. The first one hands out meals to the homeless in Nijmegen. The Jerome Damey Foundation is building a school for orphans in Guinea. ‘It’s not just about the physical building, but also everything else that is involved. Think of, for example, delivering food for the children.’ The foundation also keeps busy with policy making: they try to make sure all orphans have the right to go to school. ‘As of right now, that is not always the case,’ says Reidinga.

Last year the – digital – RAGweek raised a record amount of 42.345,98 euros. Of that number is going to be higher this year because of the physical activities, Reidinga doesn’t dare to say. ‘That is what it is about for us. It’s not a competition to raise more money every year, it’s about helping charities and to raise awareness among students.’