Ride for Life

cycling and food in aid of cancer research in association with FORCE

The 3rd Nello Memorial Century Cycle Challenge July 7th, 2002 raises £16,000 for the FORCE Cancer Support Centre Appeal

Just before Christmas, we were delighted to visit the FORCE office to present a cheque for £16,300, the fundraising results of the 3rd Nello Century Cycle Challenge that took place in July 2002. Pete ‘The Flying Bean’ Cain, Roger Bishop and Hugh Evans were there for the handover, and other team members were with us in spirit. Exeter’s Lord Mayor Cllr Val Dixon, who has supported FORCE so passionately throughout her year in office, kindly came along and even took a turn on our tandem with her driver Alan.

The really exciting news is that our Topsham Ride for Life contribution has taken the FORCE Cancer Support Centre Appeal to over £400,000. This means that, while the total target amount has not yet been reached, sufficient funds are now on hand to commence construction of this immensely important community project. All being well, the FORCE Cancer Support Centre will open towards the end of 2003. This imaginatively and sensitively designed Centre, on the grounds of the R D & E, will provide a focus of support for cancer patients, families and carers and "offer an individualised holistic approach to cancer care," says FORCE fundraiser Meriel Fishwick..

In the past three years, Ride for Life has contributed over £40,000 to FORCE as the proceeds from the Nello Century Challenge Cycle rides. These events could not take place without the support and hard work of many friends and supporters, and indeed a large proportion of the effort as well as monies raised comes each year directly and indirectly through our Topsham community. So thank you once again for all your continued efforts and support. It will be truly wonderful to see the tangible results when the FORCE Cancer Support Centre opens this year, our significant community contribution a lasting achievement in memory of Nello.

For those of you planning to ride in 2003, the 4th Nello Century Cycle Challenge is set to take place on Sunday June 29. We will of course follow the usual and now classic century route up the Exe Valley, over the roof of Exmoor and back, as well as offer the 55 mile half-century route, which was much enjoyed by many participants last year. There will also, we hope, be another children’s ride though probably not a repeat of ‘the mini-Tour de France Mountain Stage’ (whewww, says our daughter Bella, who last year fell into a cattle grid…). On all three rides last year, some 250 cyclists took to the road. I wonder how many will join us this year? Whichever route you may choose to ride, or if you’d like to help on the day, we hope to see you there.

If you’d like any further information about Ride for Life, the cycle routes, training, etc,, or if you can help us in any way or would like to be part of the Ride for Life team, please give us a call on 873778 or email marc@rideforlife.org.uk.

Marc and Kim Millon and the Ride for Life team

3rd Nello Century Cycle Challenge Ride Report

---