Church of Ireland charity cycle to pedal into Lisburn
All set for the Tour de Connor charity bike ride which will visit every parish in the Church of lreland Diocese of Connor from June 1-6 are cyclists, from left: The Rev Andrew Ker, Sam Cunningham, the Rt Rev Alan Abernethy, Bishop of Connor and the Rev Bill Boyce. The 346 mile cycle will remember those who have died of cancer and will raise funds for the Friends of the Cancer Centre.
A CHURCH of Ireland foursome will pedal its way through Lisburn next month raising funds for charity and remembering those who have died of cancer.
The Tour de Connor cycle will see the Rt Rev Alan Abernethy, Bishop of Connor; the Rev Bill Boyce, rector of St Brigid's, Mallusk; his curate, the Rev Andrew Ker, and parishioner Sam Cunningham pedalling almost 350 miles and visiting every church in the diocese over six days.
They will be in the Lisburn area on Tuesday June 1 and Wednesday June 2, and will 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.
They will also be collecting sponsorship and hope to raise £20,000 the local Friends of the Cancer Centre charity.
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.
The 'Tour de Connor' will start at St Brigid's Parish Church, Mallusk, on Tuesday June 1, finishing back at St Brigid's on Sunday June 6, the first anniversary of Sandra's death.
The Book of Remembrance, made up of the lists collected at each parish church, will be dedicated at a Service of Thanksgiving and Remembrance on Sunday June 6 at 4pm in St Brigid's.
Bill said: "It was the care and compassion of the people in the Cancer Centre at the Belfast City Hospital that spoke to me. They were very dedicated people and they need funding so I wanted to do something for them."
Colleen Shaw, Fundraising Manager for Friends of the Cancer Centre, said: "I'm sure they'll all have a jolly good time while raising such important funds to support our regional centre for excellence in cancer treatment."
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.
Ulster Star
21/04/2010
