25 take part in Coast to Coast cycle in aid of Purple House
A GROUP of 25 cyclists made the gruelling 250km cycle from Bray to Galway at the weekend to raise funds for Purple House Cancer Support Centre.
The Coast to Coast cycle which was the brainchild of Danny McDermott was organised both to raise funds for and raise awareness of Purple House and its services.
Conor O’Leary of Purple House Cancer Support said it had been a great success.
‘We had 25 cyclists taking on the trip which brought us from Bray to Salthill in Galway. It was really a very mixed cycle. On Saturday it was very hot, in the mid 20s during parts of it and we travelled 150km to Athlone. We stayed overnight in Athlone and on Sunday morning we set off for Salthill in very rainy conditions.
‘It was wet all day and it was a total contrast to Saturday’s cycle. We arrived in Galway after completing the final 100km soaked to the skin but it didn’t dampen our spirits.
‘We were delighted that everyone who set off on the cycle completed it and we made friends for life during the weekend.
‘It was a tough cycle in parts and we all really had to dig deep because many of us weren’t seasoned cyclists so we really had to push ourselves.
‘We had a mix of men and women taking part in the two day cycle from a range of different backgrounds. Some people were cancer survivors, some people had lost family members to cancer and others were supporters of Purple House.
‘We also had a tandem team, Brendan and Robbie Ferris from Bray. Robbie has cerebral palsy and wanted to take part and his dad Brendan also had treatment for pre-cancer.
‘We don’t know how much we raised yet and it will be a couple of weeks before all the sponsorship is in. The money will be used to provide services at Purple House.
‘In addition to raising funds we wanted to raise awareness of Purple House and its services to let people know that there are supports out there. We met a lot of people in every town and village along the way and received great support from them.
‘It was such a success that it looks like the Coast to Coast cycle for Purple House will be an annual event which is great.
Purple House Cancer Support Centre was the first community based cancer support centre in Ireland when it was founded in 1990 and today helps over 1,100 families each year through its cancer support services which include programmes for children, counselling, practical support and support groups.