A bike ride from Liverpool to Leeds has raised more than £12,400 for Martin House Hospice Care for Children and Young People.
Uncle Mick’s Bike Ride saw 49 cyclists and a 14-strong support team ride 127 miles along the canal path between the two cities in May.
It was the fifth and biggest event since being started by Mick Mason in 2013 with just himself, his brother and a neighbour.
The final total raised in sponsorship this year of £12,414.02 brings the overall amount raised in the last five years to more than £32,000.
Mick’s nephew Alex Mason, was diagnosed with Frederich’s Ataxia in 2008, a life-limiting condition that affects the central nervous system, causing complications such as poor muscle growth, curvature of the spine and fatigue.
He has attended Martin House – which cares for children and young people with life-limiting illnesses across West, North and East Yorkshire, regularly since 2010.
Mick said: “We had a few bumps along the way, and more punctures than I could count, but it was an incredibly successful weekend, and this is an amazing result.
“I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part or has supported us, because without them none of this would happen.”
The bike ride received financial support from Alex’s grandparents, and also a number of local firms – Fusion4Care, Dalesways Conservatories, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Evans Halshaw Citroen Leeds, Danone, Unite the Union Leeds, Tesco, Morrisons, LifeCycles and the help of DoubleTree by Hilton to access Granary Wharf for the finish line.
John Haigh, corporate fundraiser for Martin House, said: “To raise over £10,000 is a phenomenal achievement and testament to Mick’s tireless dedication to Martin House and the months of work he puts in to make this event happen every year.
“We support hundreds of children and young people every year, at Martin House, in hospitals and in their own homes, as well as the support we give to bereaved families, and none of it would be possible without the help of events like Uncle Mick’s Bike Ride. We’d like to thank Mick, all the cyclists and support team, plus everyone who contributed to the ride for their efforts.”
To sign up for next year’s bike ride, contact Mick on umbr.needinfo@virginmedia.com and to find out more about Martin House visit www.martinhouse.org.uk.
This is the first blog post on the new UMBR site – are you getting this Mick ?
I have just logged in fine
good – has this gone to new address