Cyclists complete mammoth ride for Give a Gift
Eight determined fundraisers from Leeds pedalled their way to thousands of pounds for two local causes after cycling more than 150 miles in just two days.
The Give a Gift team jumped on their bikes last weekend as they set off from Liverpool to Leeds in aid of Martin House Children’s Hospice and the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund at Leeds General Infirmary.
Tackling all terrain down the Leeds-Liverpool canal, the group eventually made it back home on Sunday 9th August, with 16 tired legs and just a few grazes from the mammoth route.
Give a Gift Ambassador, Adil Hussain, has travelled from Vietnam to Cambodia on a bike before yet said this latest charity challenge was even harder.
“In total we did 150 miles in just two days and every one of us felt it,” he said. “There were times that we found it hard to keep going, when the route was almost impassable but we knew we had to keep pushing on.
“We do these fundraisers for children at Martin House or the LGI, as well as their families. That is the thing that keeps us going and keeps us motivated all the way.”
Set up in 2013 as a charitable concept, Give a Gift is targeted at getting British Muslims to ‘give back’ to their local communities, with a number of projects held throughout the year.
This is the first time the cycle challenge has been held, with the eight participants, Adil, Alyas, Mohammed Ibrahim, Irfan, Junaid, Idrees, Naheem and Hamza accompanied by fellow Give a Gift Ambassador, Habib Khan.
Habib said the group had shown ‘phenomenal teamwork’ over the two days and was delighted to see such ‘vital funds’ raised for the charities.
“This is the first time the guys have completed the canal cycle and they did an amazing job,” he said.
“The beauty of the challenge was that nearly all of the participants had never done something as big as this before yet they worked together to help each other over the line.
“It was great to see so much effort, from the 15-year-olds to the 50-year-olds, and to know that they were doing this in the name of Give a Gift.”
If you would like more information about the work Give a Gift are doing, please email info@giveagift.org
