Road Club’s cyclists raise £1050 for the Chernobyl Children appeal

She presented medals and certificates of merit to the successful participants, including five riders who had achieved full attendance of all thirteen tours. John and Eleanor Duffin, representatives from the Chernobyl children appeal NI, were also in attendance. The charity fund reached a record total this year with £1050 being donated to the Chernobyl Children’s appeal NI. 2013 was the eighth successive year during which the club supported the CCA. During that time the cyclists have donated £5586.50 to this very worthwhile cause. This year’s fun tour series has been one the most successful ever held with a total turnout of 725 cyclists over the 13 weeks, an average of 56 per week. 124 different individual cyclists completed at least one tour with five riders achieving full attendance. They were; John Elliott for a second successive season, Francis O’Kane, Patsy McGurk, Paddy Mooney and of course Rex Bonar who was in attendance every week to open up the car park and clubrooms. There were 17 gold medallists who successfully completed at least 11 tours: 27 silver who had at least 8 tours and 27 bronze for 5 tours. The mayor said she was pleased to hear that the tours had once again been very successful and that they had been completed safely and without any difficulties. She praised the efforts of all the participants and congratulated them on their fund raising efforts. Ballymena Road Club’s chairman John Maxwell thanked the mayor for her hospitality and also for the council’s continued support of the fun tours. John Duffin accepted a cheque from the club and explained that all the money raised goes to the work of the CCA without deduction of any expenses. He said he was “blown away” by the continued fund raising by the cyclists and was delighted to accept the money for the CCA. He also said it was a fitting and lasting memorial to Martin McKernan who, along with his wife Jennie, had been a host family. Martin McKernan was a member of Ballymena Road Club’s touring committee until his untimely death in August 2000. Chernobyl Children Appeal (NI) Ltd. was formed in 1994 to help alleviate the suffering of children from the contaminated regions of Belarus and Ukraine in the aftermath of the Chernobyl Disaster in 1986. The charity operates on a cross community and voluntary basis with support branches spread widely across Northern Ireland. Each year the charity brings children away from the radioactive contamination of their homeland for a 3 week respite holiday with local families. This short stay in Northern can make a significant difference to the children’s well-being.