Pedalling help for Parkinson’s
The fundraising efforts of a Comrie man stepped up a gear at the weekend.
Pedalling Parkinson’s sufferer Marc van Grieken is in training to take on the 81-mile Etape Caledonia Challenge in May 21 to raise money for Parkinson’s UK.
The fundraising efforts of a Comrie man stepped up a gear at the weekend.
Pedalling Parkinson’s sufferer Marc van Grieken is in training to take on the 81-mile Etape Caledonia Challenge in May 21 to raise money for Parkinson’s UK.
Marc is being supported in his efforts by friends Donald Coltart, Nick James, Stuart Henderson, Pete Murray, Keith Vance and Ian Findlay and they have called themselves the Shaky Team from Shaky Toun. A fundraising target of £60,000 has been set and Marc has already raised more than £9,000 on his Just Giving page.
It is more than 10 years since Marc was diagnosed with the neurological condition, which presents many challenges in daily life.
And, on Saturday, the landscape architect got on his static bike to train in St Kessog’s Square where he also raffled off a donated ladies bike.
Marc pedalled non-stop for three hours and 15 minutes, approximately 41 miles in distance and just in excess of half the length of the forthcoming Etape.
He told the Herald:“A total of £173.07 was raised in the square in the bucket. EDF Energy has made a donation to the Shaky Team from Shaky Toun in the form of cycling gear and equipment to the value of £1,000 to be supplied by Comrie Croft bikes.
“And Comrie Croft bikes has been very generous by donating three bikes worth considerably more than £1000.
“On Saturday I ran a raffle for the ladies bike which raised £400 . The other two bikes will be raffled later.”Bill Lang from the village was the lucky winner of the bike.
A curry night planned for later this month has sold out and Marc has also lined up more static cyle challenges, so look out for him at Crieff Co-op and Comrie Croft.
• Find Marc’s fundraising page by searching for‘Marc van Grieken’on www.justgiving.com