Laois club buzzing with €60,000 for BUMBLEance
Clonaslee High Nelly Club presented the huge cheque to delighted BUMBLEance volunteers on 16 May. Photo: Clonaslee High Nelly Club
MEMBERS of a Laois vintage bicycle club are on a high, after raising an incredible €60,000 for a children’s ambulance service.
Clonaslee High Nelly Club was thrilled to present the big cheque to BUMBLEance volunteers, at a joyful celebration at Hickey’s in the village on Saturday 16 May.
The remarkable total is thanks to huge local support for the group’s daunting 134km fundraising cycle to Shannon Harbour in April.
Posting a photo from the scene outside Hickey’s on social media, the club said: ‘This has been an outstanding endeavour, with an immense amount of work carried out behind the scenes. We are eternally grateful to everyone who supported this fundraiser across the board.’
The kind group also made a donation of €2,000 to Make-A-Wish Ireland, which works to fulfil wishes for children with critical medical conditions.
The marathon cycle on Saturday 11 April was the club’s most ambitious and difficult fundraiser so far with months of training, preparation treks and weekly spin cycles to prepare for the big challenge.
The cycle was originally to start from Croke Park in Dublin but the fuel protests brought an unavoidable diversion, which saw the group set off from Clonaslee on their long but rewarding journey to the west.
The voluntary BUMBLEance service provides nationwide medical transfers for sick children, with a fleet of child-friendly ambulances stationed nationwide. Each vehicle has sensory lighting, child-friendly decor, entertainment and seats for parents and siblings.
Ireland's only dedicated children's ambulance service, the charity transports children to lifesaving care across the country, accompanied by their families.
