Diocesan News
The Tour de Connor cycle marathon is underway
The Tour de Connor cycle marathon is underway, with the team of cyclists stopping at 40 churches in the course of 40 miles on June 1 - the first day of a 346 mile pedal push.
All in a line on day one of the cycle.
The six day cycle will raise funds for charity and remember those who have died of cancer. Undertaking this mega challenge are the Rev Bill Boyce, rector of St Brigid’s, Mallusk; his curate, the Rev Andrew Ker, and parishioner Sam Cunningham.
They pushed off from St Brigid’s at 8.55am on Tuesday morning, joined for the day by fellow parishioners Alan Bowes and Ernie Arthur, and were waved on their way by parishioners and friends. The core group of three cyclists plan to stop at every single Church of Ireland parish where they will collect a list of names compiled by parishioners in memory of loved ones who have died of cancer.
Rev Adrian Dorrian greets Rev Bill Boyce and Rev Andrew Ker at St Peter's, Antrim Road, Belfast.
They will also be collecting sponsorship and hope to raise £20,000 the local Friends of the Cancer Centre charity. They are well on their way to not only achieving this target, as at the start of day two they had already surpassed the £17,000 mark!
For Bill the sponsored cycle will be emotionally as well as physically demanding, for the event has been organised in remembrance of his wife Sandra, who was just 56 when she died from cancer last year.
Support team members John White, Jennifer Armstrong, Cheryl Armstrong (team nurse), David Thompson and Billy Patterson, all members of St Brigid's.
The cyclists are supported by a dedicated team who will roll up in advance of the group at every stop equipped with snacks, drinks and if necessary medical supplies. Spirits were high on day one, the sun was shining, and it looks like this Connor-wide venture will prove a great success.
On you go lads! Actor Tim McGarry gives the cyclists some encouragement outside St Anne's on day one.
During their lunch stop at St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast, they also received the support of actor Tim McGarry, a member of the Hole in the Wall gang, well known for his role as Da in Give Me Head Peace. Tim, a friend of a tour support team member, joined in a photocall outside the Cathedral, For further information please contact:
Connor Diocesan Communications Officer
You can follow the team’s progress on their blogspot at http://tourdeconnor.blogspot.com/.
Donations to help the St Brigid’s Tour de Connor cyclists reach their target can be made in the following ways: online at www.justgiving.com/Bill-Boyce, telephone donations via calling the Friends of the Cancer Centre on 028 9069 9393, or by posting a cheque, payable to ‘Friends of the Cancer Centre’, marked on the back with ‘Tour de Connor,’ to: Friends of the Cancer Centre, Belfast City Hospital, Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7AB.
Contact Details
Karen Bushby
028 4066 0798
07766103880
[email protected]