RIDE AID REACHES FINAL STRAIGHT ON RVI JOURNEY

The owners of Newcastle Harley-Davidson successfully completed their ambitious 48-hour charity ride across the UK on Sunday 25 October. The Ride Aid event, from Newcastle to Lands End via John O’Groats, has so far raised almost £15,000 for the Breast Clinic Fund at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI).

Business partners Paul O’Callaghan and David Hall completed their epic journey on motorcycles supplied by Buell UK. They were accompanied by two colleagues from the Sandyford dealership, Allen Glasper and Eric Ree, along with Nick Colledge and Andrew McIndoe from Harley-Davidson & Buell UK, and Greg Holmes of the Geordie HOG Chapter. Cleveland police officers Kevin Keay and Mick Watson, who rode motorcycles on loan by Harley-Davidson UK, ensured the safety of the group throughout the trip.

“The whole weekend was fantastic and a real test for all of the riders,” said David. “The help and support we’ve received has been tremendous. Special thanks to the Geordie HOG chapter for their fundraising efforts, to Nick Colledge and Andy McIndoe for organising the Buells and Harley-Davidson police bikes, and Greg Holmes, our designated paramedic on the journey, for his excellent route planning. We also thank Mick and Kev from Cleveland Police for giving up their days off to join us and getting us round the country safely.”

“It was the most challenging thing I have ever done,” said Paul. “My biggest thanks go to all those people who have given so generously in these tough economic times and those who gave us such a fantastic welcome. When we arrived over the Tyne Bridge and rode down under police escort to the Quayside, it was a truly emotional experience. Everything we had tried to do, we had completed, and the turn-out was just amazing. We still have a way to go and hopefully now we can get to our £25,000 target.”

The money raised from the Ride Aid campaign will go towards a Scinti scanner at the RVI. The scanner minimises the extent of surgery required by patients by using an advanced lymph node detection process to identify the sentinel node.

For more details of Newcastle Harley-Davidson and Buell Ride Aid, associated events and ways to support the Ride Aid fundraising campaign, please visit www.buellperformanceacademy.co.uk/rideaid

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