The annual Acorn 100k Sponsored Bike Ride will take place on Saturday 12th May and the organisers hope to raise £30,000 from this year’s event. The BIke Ride is now in its 6th year and has raised over £145,000 for Acorn’s nominated charities – research into scleroderma at Leeds General Infirmary and to support people with dementia and their carers in the Ripon and Harrogate area.
Last year’s Bike Ride had a record number of cyclists with 540 taking to their wheels in aid of the charity. This was exactly 100 more than the previous year and the event raised £28,000 for Acorn.
The Bike Ride starts and finishes at Bishop Monkton on a circular, fully-marshalled route. The route travels through Boroughbridge, Helperby, Easingwold, Sheriff Hutton, Linton on Ouse and Marton-cum-Grafton before returning to Bishop Monkton. Over 50 marshalls are required to keep the route safe for cyclists and lunch is provided at Sheriff Hutton sponsored by Greencore, Zubrance and Seabrook Crisps. The whole event is once again sponsored by Lights4Fun with technical support by Chevin Cycles of Otley. Signage support is provided by Marsland Timber and HACS. St John’s Ambulance will also be on hand to deal with any medical emergencies.
The Acorn Sponsored Bike Ride began as a challenge for Acorn supporters in 2007 and has now become a very popular date in the cyclists’ calendar. Everyone is encouraged to join in from serious road cyclists to enthusiastic amateurs and a number of tandems are usually expected to complete the route. Local businesses and clubs are also encouraged to use the event as a team-building exercise with teams including Raworths Solicitors, Wheeleasy, Blazing Saddles, Well Oiled Cogs, Blazing Saddles and Imageco already registered.
Acorn Chairman, Louise Hanen, who will also be running with the Olympic Torch on June 19th in honour of her work for dementia charities said, ‘It is extraordinary how this event has grown. Each year we are delighted with the increasing number of cyclists who help to raise funds with their sponsorship and we could not, of course, run this event without our fantastic volunteers who not only marshall the event, help at the start and finish, but also bake a huge number of excellent cakes so our cyclists are rewarded for their efforts at the end! The money raised makes such a difference in the community, enabling us to support many people locally with dementia and to continue important research into scleroderma at Leeds General Infirmary.’
There will also be a prize for the cyclist generating the largest amount of sponsorship money who will receive a ladies’ or gents’ mountain bike which has generously been donated by Chevin Cycles of Otley.
For more about this event and the work of the charity, please check out the Acorn webpage at www.acorncharity.org.uk or email louisehanen@acorncharity.org.uk
