News & Events

Big Breakfast Challenge 9-16 May 2010

The Cyprus Big Breakfast challenge week took place 9-16 May and raised over 16,000 euros for the Cyprus cancer charity Open Arms.  Volunteers from all over the island picked up frying pans and sizzled their way thorough 4300 sausages, 3300 rashes of bacon and buttered over 6100 rolls in aid of the cancer charity. If the sausages alone were laid end to end they would stretch the length of 5 football pitches.

38 breakfast events, big and small, were held over an extended one week period.

“Breakfast is a difficult meal because there are so many different bits to it” said Chef Corporal Dave Cousins. “I take my hat off to anybody who takes the challenge especially those who have decided to provide a breakfast with a twist”

Several breakfast organisers added a little spice to their events by offering a special experience with their ‘bacon butties’. Perhaps the most novel of these was the Flying Club at RAF Akrotiri who provided both an economy and business class service at their hugely popular airline themed event that attracted over 400 visitors. Breakfast guests were then treated to a fly around the local area in one of the club’s aircraft.  They were also treated to a free display by the Red Arrows who are practicing on the Island

“It’s been a long time since I was in an aircraft this small” explained veteran Flight Sergeant Fred Barden, 84, who was Lancaster rear gunner with 170 Squadron Bomber command in WWII. “I had a terrific flight, the view was incredible”.

Alexandros Yiapanis, 8, from Limassol was very excited to meet and talk to the pilots, “The red arrows were the fantastic” he explained “but the best bit was climbing on the helicopter”.

Equally as intrepid breakfast goers took to their speed boats to travel over 2 miles out to sea to a floating kitchen to claim their bacon rolls and coffee. “It’s just as well the water was flat” explained Sean Tully who organised the boating breakfast “frying sausages on a rolling sea would not have been easy”.

Just like last year the event was sponsored by Sodexo who kindly donated over €5000 worth of food for the volunteer chefs. “This is a great event that we look forward to each year,” said Chris Bray the Managing Director of Sodexo Cyprus. “Open Arms is a terrific charity and we are more than pleased to be involved “.

A squadron of volunteers prepared a strawberry cream tea with ham and cucumber sandwiches, crusts cut off of course, for over 200 breakfast goers at RAF Akrotiri. Families munched their way through 10 Kg of strawberries in the grandiose surrounding of the manicured gardens of the Station Commander. “My son couldn’t have been happier” said Joanne Hipkins who took here family along to the event, “Samuel normally has coco pops so a bowl full of strawberry is a real treat”.

The Sovereign Base Area police reflected the multi cultural side of the Cyprus activity with a special ‘Souvla’ brunch at their police station. Three police officers rolled up their sleeves to cook the national dish of Cyprus and attracted over 120 individuals the majority of which were from and the local Cypriot community. “Every body had a wonderful time, this was a great opportunity to for members of BFC to engage with the local community” explained George Kiteos the local Divisional police commander. “As well as raising €800 for Open Arms we will be donating some of the money raised to local cancer charities”.

Open Arms is Cyprus cancer patients support group based at the princes Mary’s Hospital at RAF Akrotiri. “Cancer can affect anybody at anytime, young or old, super fit or not so” explained Fiona Gordon the committee’s Chairman “

She added “The MOD, of course, pays for the treatment of its personnel and emergency compassionate travel. But as with any serious illness, cancer and its impact is so much wider.  It does not matter what rank you are or the size of your pay packet, people do not budget for all the extra costs that come when a relative has cancer; this is where Open Arms steps in”

“We are not funded by the MOD, every penny we spend is donated” explained Tricia Grieve, support co-coordinator for Open Arms. “It never ceases to amaze me how much effort people make to support Open Arms. I would like to thank all of the caring people who contributed to the success of Big Breakfast week on behalf of the patients and their families who will benefit from their generosity”.

Article by Sean Tully

Members of the Episkopi Golf Club ‘tea up’ at their breakfast	Sally Shave, David Overall and Charlie Kirkpatrick at their breakfast event in the Episkopi medical center.
Alexandros Yiapanis, from Limassol, enjoys his breakfast with pilot Kevin Everett at the RAF Akrotiri flying club event.	Volunteer chef, Sean Tully cooks up breakfast for 60 two miles out to sea.

Cpl Dave Cousins down at ESSC getting some trapeze practise in before Breakfast Week. Photo by Dave Dunbar