Reed Wheelers, a team of cyclists from Reed Exhibitions, will embark on the 315-mile Tour of Ireland with the aim of raising £1,500 for Shooting Star Chase, a hospice charity for babies, children and young people with life-limiting conditions.
Lead by Darren Wright, sales manager at ibtm events, part of the RTE portfolio, the team will spend three days, from 8-10 September, navigating the West Coast of Ireland along the Wild Atlantic Way.
“We can’t wait to get underway with this tour,” said Wright. “It has become an annual event in the run up to ibtm world, and is a very important part of our year and something the whole company gets behind.”
Wright revealed the team has raised a total of £8,600 to date for charities including for Just a Drop, Help for Heroes, and UNICEF.
Reed Wheelers is comprised of 13 of the company’s current and previous employees. The team has cycled routes including the Scottish Highlands, Land’s End to Richmond, and London to Paris.
Wright continued: “Now we’re looking forward to the challenge of cycling the longest coastal touring route in the world, and seeing some of the beautiful places in Ireland along the way, including Cork, Kerry, Shannon and then Galway.
“We’ve still got a little way to go to reach our target of £1,500, but I’m fully confident that we can raise the funds for this fantastic charity.”
The team’s jerseys have been sponsored by Meet in Ireland, the country’s official MICE brand and an exhibitor with Reed Exhibitions for many years.
The team will spend between eight and nine hours cycling each day before resting in accommodation provided by Cork Convention Bureau, Shannon Region Conference & Sports Bureau and Galway Convention Bureau.
Cycling the route are Darren Wright (Captain), Shane Hannam, David Todd, Matt Need, Clinton Erasmus, Neesam Mohoboob, Alex Bowden, Catherine Trevor, Charlie Cracknell, Shane Lewis, Craig Moyes and Neil Simpson. Jonathan Vis will be the support driver for the team.
Shooting Star Chase supports families from diagnosis to end of life and throughout bereavement with a range of nursing, practical, emotional and medical care. Donations to the team’s cause can be made through the Justgiving website.
