Motorbikers will be donning leathers for a mercy ride from Hereford to the coast this summer to raise funds for local multiple sclerosis sufferers.
The cavalcade of riders, led by Allan ‘Butch’ Tyler, will ride to the seafront at Aberystwyth on Saturday June 26. On their return to Hereford there will be a fund-raising barbecue and evening of live musicwith free admission at the Old Market Inn, Newmarket Street.
Motorbikers with machines from 125cc upwards are invited to join the sponsored event. All money raised will go to the MS Society’s Hereford and district branch and representatives and volunteers will be out in force to cheer the bikers on their way.
“We will be open from 7.30am at the Old Market Inn and there will be on offer tea, coffee, full cooked breakfast or breakfast rolls at reasonable prices,” said Butch. “The bike run will start at 10am.” First stop will be Crossgates’ service station before heading for the promenade at Aberystwyth, then Aberaron, Lampeter and back to Hereford.
Butch added: “All I ask on the day is that everyone rides safely and responsibly. It will be a great fun day out for all, so please come and join us and help with your kind donations. This money will really help people; as two members of my family have got MS so I know how hard it is for them.”
Butch and his supporters have other fund-raising events up their sleeves too, spurred on by the plight of a relative who developed MS after moving from Herefordshire to live in West Wales.
“Her husband suffered a heart attack and died and then she got struck down with MS,” explains Butch.
“For the last 10 years her health has been deteriorating until she can’t really do anything, and now she has moved to Ledbury to be near her sister.”
When Butch joins his friends for the 150-mile ride this summer, he will also have his partner Nikki Smith very much in mind too.
“She had what was thought to have been a stroke over 20 years ago, but now it turns out that she has MS too,” he said. “For the next couple of years I am going to put a bit back into the society for Nikki and her aunt.”
For the future, he is planning a 12-hour sponsored hike up the 2,927ft Cader Idris for the MS Society.
Because of his concerns for Nikki, Butch has swapped his high booster Suzuki machine for a Yamaha with a back rest.
“I’ve changed my motorbike so that it has a comfy back rest for Nikki,” he said. For inquiries about the charity motorbike run call Butch on 07733137824 or 01432 271703.