Event write up courtesy of Inspire Racing Team
Around 12 months ago, and before our team was even officially launched, a fund raising initiative was started which involved completing the following “Tour De France” card:
The idea for the card came from the old pub style footy cards that Sunday League teams hand around the bar after the game to help to pay for catering.
Our objective was a little different…what we wanted to do was to raise funds for the team and also to raise money for our chosen charities.
On this basis, we decided to charge £20 per rider with 50 riders named on the card, each of whom has completed the Tour De France.
It took a while to complete the card but with perseverance and great team work by all of the Inspire VCUK riders, the card was eventually completed which enabled the winner to be drawn from a hat.
On Friday night, whilst attending the MRTL track league, Team Manager Jerrod Hartley arranged to meet up with two representatives from the two charities that the Inspire VCUK racing team supports.
The team supports the Lewis Balyckyi Trust and Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY).
From the Lewis Balyckyi Trust, Jacqui Balyckyi (mum to Lewis) attended whilst on behalf of CRY, Ian & Lynne Scanlan attended.
Jacqui and Kevin Balyckyi set up the Lewis Balyckyi Trust as a lasting tribute to their son Lewis who tragically lost his life whilst out training on his bicycle in 2011.
Ian and Lynne support CRY with a great amount of passion, having lost their daughter, Nina, through an undiagnosed heart condition in 2005.
The purpose of the meeting was to present a cheque to each charity for £100, raised by the Tour De France card.
In addition to these charitable contributions, the winner of the card (drawn from a hat) is also destined to receive £100.
The winning rider was Bradley Wiggins, drawn from the hat by Lynne Scanlan, and for a brief moment a few people present during the draw actually thought that Bradley was the actual winner! “No…he is the rider” remarked Jerrod, and so with much anticipation, we are pleased to announce the WINNER to be Mr Keith Bleazard from Hardhorn, on the Fylde Coast.
Keith is a very worthy winner of this campaign as he is a very big fan of the team and keen to see our riders make progress.
The following photograph captures the moment when the two cheques for £100 were presented to our chosen charities:
The remaining proceeds from the card (£700) are to be used by the team to help finance a professional bike carrier capable of transporting 7 racing bikes and spare wheels.
Further support for Cardiac Risk in the Young:
