A Carrickfergus cycling club has completed a lap of Lough Neagh and raised £1,600 for The Northern Ireland Children to Lapland Trust and AAVS, a local veteran’s charity.
The team completed the mammoth 86-mile ‘Lap of the Lough’ over various times with some members tackling the quest with under five weeks’ training.
The club was broken down into three groups, with 14 riders.
The charity drive is just one part of Carrick Cycle Club’s mission to cycle the 2,800-mile distance between Northern Ireland and Lapland.
Their efforts will see them raise funds for The Northern Ireland Children to Lapland Trust (NICLT), which provides children who are terminally ill or living with life limiting conditions with a range of experiences, including trips to Santa Park in Roveniemi.
The club will also put some of the funds raised towards AA Veterans Support which provides help, advice and offers guidance to those who serve or have served in the British Armed Forces and their families throughout Northern Ireland.
Speaking about the event, Stephen Mullan, who lapped the lough in five hours and 23 minutes, said there is a massive sense of achievement among the team at Carrick Cycling Club, having completed 86 miles.
“We completed Lap of the Lough because we wanted to raise money for causes that are close to our members’ hearts. Both NI Children to Lapland Trust and AAVS are local charities that make a difference to people’s lives and we really hope our efforts help these organisations to make more of an impact on those living in NI.
“A special thanks goes out to local club supporter Jim Adams for being taxi, mobile mechanic and a broom wagon and all those AAVS veterans who helped man the coffee stop at the halfway mark!” he added.
Diane Olphert, Treasurer of the Northern Ireland Children to Lapland Trust, also completed the route with only five weeks’ training. She said this wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Carrick Cycling Club helping and encouraging her since she joined the team in July.
“The funds raised by everyone who took part in the event will help make wishes come true for the children we have been helping over our 12 years in operation,” she added.