Firefighters bike it for charity
Four Kinlochleven firefighters past and present got on their bikes to help the campaign against prostate cancer, writes Jamie Wills.
Patrick Macinnes, Hugh Mackay, Colin Thompson and Michael Hartley rode the 94 miles from Kinlochleven to Inverness on their mountain and electric bikes, raising £3,000 for Prostate Cancer UK.
The money included a £1,000 donation from Leven Homes.
Patrick lost his uncle John Alex Macinnes to prostate cancer in 2022.
He said: “My uncle John Alex lost his battle last year after sadly being diagnosed with the disease too late. He spent the last year or so of his life raising awareness and funds for the charity, encouraging people to get checked. Truly inspirational. I wanted to do this challenge in his memory and to continue to raise awareness and money to hopefully prevent families losing their loved ones from this awful disease.”
On Saturday May 13, the quartet made their way to Fort Augustus for the night before finishing the challenge the next day. While Patrick, 33, did the trip on a mountain bike, Colin, 36, Michael, 56, and Hugh, 60, took the electric option. The e-bikes survived until the end, although Patrick said they were all sailing close to the wind for charge by the end of day two, prompting some pushing.
The cycling challenge was not the first time the Kinlochleven Fire Station crew, of which Hugh is a 37-year veteran, has used its physical fitness to raise funds. Members completed the March the Month challenge for Prostate Cancer UK in March 2021, a cycling relay in 2022 for Kinlochleven Primary School and the SFRS Family Support Trust, and a sponsored car wash last month.
With this challenge completed, Patrick shared a message of appreciation with those who had helped raise funds, saying: “We would like to say thanks to all for their support and donations...and a special mention to Leven Homes for their very generous donation.”