Liverpool manager backs cyclists in 180 mile mission
19.08.10
NEW Liverpool FC manager Roy Hodgson has lent his support to staff from the football club who will be conquering a 180 mile coast to coast bike ride to raise money for charities close to their hearts.
.jpg "Roy Hodgson with cyclists, Meningitis UK staff and Claire House staff")
Hodgson wished the intrepid cyclists luck ahead of the challenge on September 1, when they will be pedalling for three days along the Hadrian's Cycleway from Ravenglass, on the West Coast, to Sunderland's Stadium of Light.
The challenge is being undertaken by Liverpool FC colleagues Stephen Hollis, Mike Yates and Mark Haig.
They are being accompanied by Barry Major, from Jack Parker Cycles in Burscough, who has recently recovered from viral meningitis himself.
Stephen is supporting Claire House after it cared for Harvey Jones Langham, a close family friend's son, who died from Peroxisome Biogenesis Disorder at the age of four.
Mike is hoping to raise as much money as possible for Meningitis UK after he lost his niece Eloise to meningitis on December 17 last year at just nine-months-old.
She was struck down by the pneumococcal septicaemia form of the disease and fell critically ill within hours.
His sister-in-law Abby Dalton is organising a football match at Elland Road between Liverpool legends and celebrity legends on October 9.
Mike said: "Seeing Eloise fighting for her life in hospital and the devastation it's caused the whole family has been heartbreaking.
"The bike ride came into our heads as a way to not only to keep fit but to do something positive in memory of both Eloise and Harvey.
"We didn't want it to simply be a bike ride, we wanted it to be a big challenge too. Their deaths are incentive enough to cycle 180 miles.
"Losing Eloise has been so hard and everyone's immensely proud of Abby for being so positive given what's happened.
"We just hope that no family has to go through what we've been through, which is why we're supporting Meningitis UK in the hope that a vaccine will be found to safeguard children in the future."
Liverpool FC gave permission for the charities' logos to be put on their football shirts, which rarely happens, and they've been instrumental in helping with transport, medical and nutritional supplies for the challenge.
Money Mike raises from the cycle ride will go towards Meningitis UK's Search 4 a Vaccine Campaign. It aims to raise £7million to fund vital research into developing a vaccine to protect against all forms of meningitis.
Steve Dayman, who founded Meningitis UK after his son Spencer died from the disease, said: "Mike and his fellow cyclists' efforts in memory of Eloise are really appreciated. To cycle 180 miles is no mean feat.
"What happened to Eloise sadly illustrates the speed at which meningitis can strike, with very few symptoms to distinguish the disease from more common illnesses.
"Although Eloise had had a vaccine to protect against pneumococcal meningitis, it doesn't yet cover all strains so it's vital that research is ongoing.
"The devastation experienced by her family reinforces the importance of finding a vaccine sooner rather than later.
"Every penny they raise will go towards this single focus and our ultimate goal to spare people the heartache of losing a loved one to meningitis."
Mike can be sponsored for the bike ride through the Forever Fund set up in Eloise's memory. Visit www.meningitisuk.tributefunds.com and search for Eloise Lema Dalton, then click on the Coast 2 Coast link.
MeningitisUK · Registered Charity No.1076774
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