Harley riders Help for Heroes

Added on Thursday, June 10th, 2010 by Carole Nash Editor | No Comments

Seven Harley fans, aiming to raise £10,000 for the Help for Heroes charity – have smashed their target by raising £15,000 for the charity with a 62-hour, 2,400-mile sponsored ride to the four corners of the UK.

The riders – all Harley-Davidson employees or affiliated agency staff – left the motorcycle manufacturer’s UK and European headquarters in Oxford at 10am on Friday 28 May to embark on the ride. With custom Help for Heroes paintwork on their bikes, the group of motorcyclists were easily spotted along the route.

Andy Shaw, who conceived the idea in January with colleague Phil Harpley, led the ride. Delighted with the team’s efforts he commented, “We’re really proud of what we achieved,” he said. “It was a tough adventure, but what we did was nothing compared to the sacrifices that our armed forces make on a daily basis, so I hope that we have done them proud with our efforts.

“The support that we received along the way was fantastic and they eased any concerns that we had about not reaching our target. I’d like to personally thank everybody who made this possible because I know that the money we donate will be put to very good use in the rehabilitation of wounded servicemen and women.”

All seven motorcycles were tracked using an innovative system produced by the Road Angel Group. The Bike Trac device was fitted to each machine to enable friends and family to keep track of their loved ones and see their progress along the route.

Graham Mackie, Managing Director of Road Angel commented, “We were extremely pleased to be able to help with the Help for Heroes charity ride. We received a fantastic response from the participants and also from friends and family who were grateful to be able to track the progress of their loved ones. Congratulations to all involved.”

Help for Heroes were not the only winners, with some lucky people claiming high value prizes in the associated raffle to win a Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 motorcycle. A Nintendo Wii, flat screen television and i-pods were also up for grabs.

People wishing to donate to the cause or to view the journey travelled should visit http://www.all4sendurance.co.uk

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