Hotel Palau Fugit participates in Oncogravel with a purpose

With only a few days left before Oncogravel, Hotel Palau Fugit is ready to take on the major gravel challenge for charity on Catalan soil. Hotel director Patrizia Glaser, one of the riders in the team from Hotel Palau Fugit, shares her thoughts on the event.

Oncolliga has encouraged people to run (Oncotrail), swim (Oncoswim), ride mountain bikes (Oncobike, earlier in October), or even participate in up to three different events (Oncotriathlon). Oncogravel is the fifth major event organized by Oncolliga to raise funds, and it continues to grow every year.

All these challenges have been key in raising funds that allow the Oncolliga Girona Foundation to finance services contributing to hospitals, improving patient wellbeing, and promoting disease research. This is also the main motivation for Glaser, who signed up herself and her colleagues for the third edition of Oncogravel.

It has been a journey for the team at Hotel Palau Fugit. While Glaser herself is an experienced cyclist who trains regularly and commutes from home to work, others in the group of six have spent fewer kilometers in the saddle this year. Together, however, they followed a training program to arrive at Oncogravel in the best possible shape, collaborating with other local companies such as Gran Fondo Community in Palafrugell.

The preparation for Oncogravel has been a bonding experience, Glaser says — not only with the local community in Girona’s Barri Vell, but also with local enterprises. “Since Oncolliga is an organization with a strong connection to the Catalan sports community, we also feel very connected to everyone involved in the charity. So far, it has been an amazing and unifying journey that not only created a strong team of the six of us competing in Oncogravel under the Hotel Palau Fugit banner, but also connected us with Gironins, people from the Costa Brava, and all the volunteers helping in the Oncolliga events.”

For Glaser, competing in Oncogravel is also a way to give something back to the community. She says: “We want to connect with the local community, inside and outside Girona’s old town and city center. As a team, we care deeply about the goals of the Oncolliga charity. Our aim, like that of any other team participating, is to collect as much money as possible for Catalan hospitals, patients, and research. We want to give something back to the community.”

She also hopes that the event will help diversify the hotel’s visitors. “As a hotel, people often think that we mostly host visitors and foreigners. However, in Hotel Palau Fugit’s case, that’s not true. We offer many services that also welcome local and Catalan guests. For instance, ‘El Gipsy,’ where people can enjoy excellent cocktails, and ‘Casa Heras,’ a welcoming restaurant offering Mediterranean cuisine, are great places to visit even if you live in the city.”

Hotel Palau Fugit also have cultural offerings, where the hotel provides a platform for artists, that include live music, exhibitions, workshops and more. “We already have locals coming regularly to Hotel Palau Fugit, and I would love to see even more Catalan people visit in the future.”