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GM Fundraising go 'Rome to Home'...
Wednesday 03 February 2010
'ROME 2 HOME' RIDE A SUCCESS!
Following on from their epic ride across the USA in September 2008, GM Fundraising have launched Rome 2 Home which took place last week, with grateful support by Business Micros Limited. To add a little spice to the event, the riders were tasked with Mont Ventoux, one of the Tour de France’s most feared climbs.
This is the fourth cycling challenge for the charity in the last 5 years and there’s been no diminish in interest from prospective riders or indeed sponsors as chairman Gary Morton points out: “The cycling challenges have really captured the imagination of everyone. They’ve brought in over £175,000 direct to the charity and the riders and support crew have individually achieved something quite special.”
Rome 2 Home took riders from the Italian capital through the Southern Alps and over Mont Ventoux. This is a 16 mile, 6000ft uphill summit climb that’s often used as the major stage in the Tour de France. Even multiple winner Lance Armstrong has never won a stage on the Ventoux, a mountain in Provence that experiences considerable heat and high winds even in the summer.
Once the riders and crew had tackled Mont Ventoux, they carried on up through France, over the ferry and to Hope House Children’s Hospice in Oswestry, for a finishing reception in the town with the kids, staff, families and friends.
Gary concludes: “We are once again asking the industry to dig deep, as much as the riders will be during the 9 days. Everyone will be pushed to their limits and that includes the support crew. While the mileage may be lower than the USA adventure, the individual days will be harder. Finally a massive thanks to Graeme Bailey and everyone at Business Micros for supporting the event, without their commitment it would have been incredibly difficult to get it off the ground.”
For further information, contact Gary Morton at gary@gmfundraising.co.uk or by mobile on 07831 608882. Alternatively you may wish to pledge your support today at http://www.justgiving.com/rome-2-home
Finally, why not become a friend of GM Fundraising on Facebook and help us spread the word to help raise much needed funds for Hope House Children’s Hospices. Thank you for your valued support.
GM Fundraising was set up in 1995 by Gary Morton a well known figurehead in the glass and glazing industries. The charity is now widely regarded as the charity of choice for the industry and is supported by a dedicated team of volunteers.
To date the charity has raised over £650,000, primarily driven by a number of charity cycle events in recent years. It all began with Top 2 Bottom from John O’Groats to Lands End, followed by Tower 2 Tower from Eiffel Tower to Blackpool Tower. The most recent challenge was Ride 4 Hope in September 2008, which took a team of riders and committed support personnel across the USA from San Diego to Atlantic City, raising £91,000 in the process.
Next the team will be riding from Rome to Hope House in Oswestry, aptly named Rome 2 Home in June 2010. It will be a 1,500 mile challenge that will take the team through the Southern Alps and up one of the Tour De France’s most famous climbs, Mont Ventoux...
