The annual Round Strathaven 50 Charity Cycling event has been a generous supporter of Health Help International in recent years having donated a total of nearly £40,000 to the Charity to date
With this year’s usual event having to be cancelled due to the Coronavirus restrictions the members of the RS50 committee were determined to continue it in some form or other and raise money for its selected Charities.
A ‘virtual’ RS50 was promoted to its regular cyclists, asking them to undertake a cycle run of up to 50 miles during the week leading up to the planned date of 23rd August not necessarily over the usual route but wherever it was most convenient to them and to make a donation on Just Giving to be shared between this year’s two selected Charities, the Kilbryde Hospice in East Kilbride and HHI, specifically to go towards its New Bus Fund (see under Events) This proved to be most successful and the cyclists’ donations have contributed a total of over £2,100 to each of the Charities.
In addition to the above, Iain Park, joint founder of the RS50 and participant in the first RS50 in 2002, now aged 83, offered to try to complete the challenging 50 mile route on the 23rd and raise money for the HHI Bus Fund by sponsorship.
Thanks to having been able to train regularly during the four months of lockdown he was able to complete the course successfully, encouraged along the way by other members of the RS50 committee. He raised the excellent sum of £5,370 from a large number of generous sponsors which with the addition of about £1,200 from Gift Aid recovery will add a further £6,570 to the Bus Fund.
Iain and the other members of the Strathaven Friends of HHI committee wish to thank all who sponsored him for their marvellous support.