A PAIR of biking buddies are set to hit the road again.
Charity champs David Sinclair, 62, and David Ridley, 48, are taking on their third cycling challenge together.
The South Tyneside pals have already peddled through the sweltering heats of the Jordan desert and India, and now they’re headed to Vietnam and Cambodia.
In November, the friends will cycle 450km in six days to raise money for The Openwork Foundation Cares 4 Kids Appeal, which supports voluntary organisations across the UK which help socially, mentally or physically disadvantaged children.
Between them, the pair have raised thousands of pounds for the cause.
Mr Ridley, a financial advisor from South Shields, said: “I think now that we’ve done a couple of them, we want to just keep going for it every year.
“It gets harder every year, so we want to keep pushing ourselves further. When you see where the money you’ve raised is going and how many people it’s helping, it just makes you want to help even more.”
Mr Sinclair, a branch manager at flooring company Durastic in Hebburn, said: “It looks like this challenge is going to be even tougher.
“We’ve just been given the itinerary, and there’s going to be three really hard days where we cycle 80km or more. But the reason we do it is for the kids, and when you see what the money is doing, it makes it all worthwhile.”
Mr Ridley is kicking off his fundraising with a rock night on Saturday, April 20. The event, at the Sea Hotel in Sea Road, South Shields, will feature rock legend Bernie Torme.
The guitarist rose to fame in the late 1970s after he was asked to join the band, Gillan, by former Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan.
Since then he has played with rocker Ozzy Osbourne.
Tickets for the gig, which starts at 7.30pm, cost £12. Those who buy tickets will also receive a T-shirt.
Mr Ridley said: “I held an event like this last year with Bernie Marsden, and it raised £1,000.
“So I’m hoping this one will be even bigger and better.”
To buy your T-shirt and ticket, send a cheque for £12, along with your address and T-shirt size to David Ridley, Unit 104, Tedco Business Works, South Shields, NE33 1RF. Alternatively, orders can be placed at Jump Records in Fowler Street, South Shields.
To sponsor Mr Sinclair, e-mail him at david.sinclair@durastic.co.uk and to sponsor Mr Ridley, e-mail him at relianceproperty@aol.com.
Twitter: @shieldsgazvicki
Comments