Over the past 9 months, the pair have raised over £11,000 for Children's Hospice South West (CHSW) and aim to reach £15,000 before the event takes place in July.
Ride for Precious Lives is an annual, sponsored cycling event put on by CHSW which is now in its 14th year and usually sees over 100 cyclists take on the challenge. The cycle covers three counties in three days stopping off at all three hospices over the 205 miles. Mike and Darryl will start alongside other riders at Little Harbour in St Austell, stopping off at Little Bridge House in Barnstaple on day two and on day three the event will finish at Charlton Farm children’s hospice near Bristol.
Not only are the pair building up the training miles on their static bikes, but they have both also been busy raising vital funds to help support the local children’s hospice by touring busy supermarkets to train stations such as Bristol Temple Meads. However, this year is a little different to the pairs previous years participation as Mike will be pulling a cycle trailer full of 205 teddy bears, which will be donated to the all three hospices on the route. Each mile will represent one bear, giving 70 bears to each hospice over the three days.
Both Mike and Darryl have been keen recreational cyclists but since signing up to Ride for Precious Lives in 2017, everything changed.
Mike tells us how now they both now have a purpose to their cycling.
Mike said: “I received a text by a member of staff at CHSW who I knew from a charity boxing match asking if I fancied taking part in this LITTLE ride. From there, I attended an open day at Charlton Farm - this was the turning point for me.
From that moment I was hooked. I could see for my own eyes the love, passion, care and joy that this wonderful place gives the children, siblings and their families.
All three hospices provides care and support to families who have children with life-limiting conditions. The hospices provide services including specialist palliative care, family respite, emergency support, end of life care and a bereavement service.
Kiley Pearce, Events Fundraiser for CHSW, said: “Mike and Daryl’s annual commitment to taking part in Ride for Precious Lives has been inspiring to the whole of CHSW. They have given up their own precious time on a weekly basis whilst carrying out turbo collections for their sponsorship so the children and families at CHSW can have precious time together at our hospices.
The pair have gone above and beyond their sponsorship target and inspired many of our other participants with their efforts.
If you would like to support ‘Too Many Bears’ in their fundraising journey for Ride for Precious Lives, please click HERE