Organisers of the annual Big Rideout event in Jersey counted around 700 bikers joining their initiative this year to raise funds for local charity Holidays for Heroes. The motorcyclists collected over £4,000 for the non-profit organisation by taking part in the motorbike ride, which took place on Sunday.
The Holidays for Heroes charity organisation raises funds for injured servicemen, providing them with one-week holidays to the island.
The charity’s cause is great, says Lee Butler, of the Greenman Motorcycle Club. When servicemen come over for their holiday they have a week-long break and bikers take them out for a ride, Butler, who organised the charity ride from St Catherine’s to St Ouen, told the BBC. There were so many bikers this year that they filled three-quarters of St Catherine’s breakwater and it took 15 minutes for the ride to pass one of section of road, he added.
The people behind the Holidays for Heroes charity are Richard and Dawn Woodhouse. They said that this year’s event brought together a record number of bikers and the fundraiser was a huge success.
Around 90% of the bike enthusiasts that joined the cause were from Jersey, but there were also motorcyclists from Alderney, Guernsey and the UK. Some of the charity’s holidaying servicemen also came back and took part in the fundraiser, Richard Woodhouse added.
The founders of the charity estimate that the bikers have raised more than £10,000 over the past four years for their cause.
