At Gala Events, in conjunction with Cornish Sporting Club, we were both honoured and proud to organise the launch Gala Dinner for the Big Bike Ride 2. An enthusiastic audience of over 200 were treated to a cricket-themed evening which saw the likes of former England stars Darren Gough, Marcus Trescothick, Geraint Jones, Dominic Cork, Rob Key and Matt Maynard take to the stage with host David Fulton, for a light-hearted evening of cricketing chat and revelry, all in aid of two very important causes: The PCA Benevolent Fund and the Tom Maynard Trust. Over £5000 was raised on the evening itself which goes straight into the overall fund-raising pot, aiming to raise £150,000 between the two charites.
Early the next morning, with one or two people looking somewhat bleary eyed, including our own Head of Operations Mark Gregory, the ride itself started in earnest. This fantastic fund-raising event saw around 80 hardy riders complete a 400 mile ride in just 5 days. Many of the riders were current or former professional cricketers; joining the previous night’s speakers on the Ride were Stuart Meaker, James Harris, Matt Coles and Graham Napier, to name a few. The riders departed Truro for Instow CC near Bideford in Devon, a challenging 90 miles which certainly broke the riders in. Further winding stops on the next four days took in Somerset CCC, Hampshire CCC, Sussex CCC, before finally arriving exhausted but happy at the Oval for a celebration.
It was a fantastic effort, and we were delighted to play our part in helping raise much needed funds for these inspiring charities.
