‘LAST HURRAH’ OF THE D2K RAISES AN INCREDIBLE €80K
DESPITE life flinging a sackful of challenges at him, not a lot draws a tear from the twinkly eye of Paul Lannon.
However, the sight of hundreds of people lining the streets of Dunleer as the last leg of the D2K wheeled in was enough to set him off!
“I’m pretty good at not letting the emotion get the better of me but seeing the amazing support from the crowds in Dunleer was tough, and I’m afraid I started blubbering like a baby,” says Paul with his more customary grin.
“The streets were packed and there I was in this open-topped car, where I couldn’t even wave, and when people started talking to me when we stopped, I was having difficulty speaking with a lump in my throat.”
The Last Hurrah of the DK2 was the sixth event in the past five years, which saw 151 cyclists complete the arduous distance of 186.4km between Ballinasloe and Dunleer, raising an incredible €80,000 and counting.
“I had in my mind €100,000 for this year, but we might fall short,” says Paul, who helped raise €83,000 last year and €67,000 the year before.
“Still it’s a far cry from the 25 men and one woman who took part in 2013, and we are grateful for every cent raised, and to everyone who took part.”
The couple have been the driving force behind the hugely successful event, which has raised over €250,000 over the past few years for IMNDA and Paul’s Fight for Life.
However, it was the last of the cycle challenges they will help organise, as the schedule is gruelling, and they both need to regroup and manage Paul’s condition.
“It takes over six months of our lives, and although we couldn’t manage without Emer Fogarty, Bernice Sands, and the other great volunteers, planning starts in January and is a massive challenge to co-ordinate and Paul is less able, so we had to draw a line and say this was the last one,” explains Paul’s wife Sandra Fox.
“We have amazing support from the community, and everyone says, ‘oh someone else will run it’, but who is that someone who will put in the 1000+ hours before it happens that no-one sees?”
The money the event raises is vital though, not only to IMNDA nationally but also to Paul’s quality of life.
“We had to get the bathroom converted at home, and also a ramp installed at the front door, as my legs are starting to go, and I will need to use a wheelchair more soon,” adds Paul.
“We are so grateful to all who cycled, donated, sponsored and supported, but maybe it’s time another charity benefited too.”