From staying up all night playing games, to an anti-Valentine’s Day Stupid Cupid event yesterday, University of Bradford students have punched, rowed and run their way through a fundraising week in support of the Telegraph & Argus Bradford Crocus Cancer Appeal.

The University and students’ union worked together to support the appeal during Raise And Give (RAG) Week.

A penny sweet stall on Monday raised £200 and events throughout the week have included Disability Sport UK visiting so students could try activities such as rowing and archery and the Student Central area staying open 24-hours with people playing computer games, volley ball and table tennis all night.

The biggest day of the week was on Thursday when RAGFEST took over Student Central with carnival rides, stalls, mini-obstacle courses, a rodeo and give-it-a-go attractions.

Yesterday, people could pay £3 to have someone serenaded, shoot arrows at hearts and one student ran a marathon on a treadmill.

The Union’s Ethics, Environment and Welfare Officer Aicha Bahij said: “We also had an anti-Valentine’s event called Stupid Cupid with dummies which you could pretend were your ex and punch their lights out.”

The Union now has to count up the bucket-loads of cash raised, which will help pay for a new mass spectrometer for Bradford University’s Institute of Cancer Therapeutics – the machine will mean scientists can study the role of proteins in cancer ten times faster than ever before.

The appeal is being run by the University, Yorkshire Cancer Research and the Sovereign Health Care Charitable Trust.

Miss Bahij said the week had led to more students wanting to support the T&A Bradford Crocus Cancer Appeal. “It’s definitely raised awareness. The Student Central is a great location for raising the awareness with students. Sometimes if you’re doing an event off campus where students don’t hang out, it doesn’t attract as many people,” she said.

“It’s really inspired students and I think it’s highlighted the cause and Thursday particularly did that.

“It’s been really good to have the university and union working together. We’ve got out students engaged with the university and what it’s doing.”

Other events being planned include a movie marathon and Big Switch, where students pay £5 to swap five items of clothing or accessories for five others donated.

Money raised during RAG Week will be divided between the T&A Bradford Crocus Cancer Appeal and Bradford Disability Sports and Leisure.

To support the appeal, CLICK HERE, e-mail crocus@brad.ac.uk or call (01274) 233166.