Cycle raises funds for charity
A West Cork man has raised thousands of euro for a charity which came to help him after he was involved in an accident.
Darren Lynch, from Caheragh, organised the Friends of the Air Ambulance Charity Cycle just ten weeks after he was involved in a serious cycling accident.
The Irish Community Air Ambulance has said the money raised will help to fund nine further air ambulance missions.
The 31 year old suffered injuries to his head and face when he crashed while taking part in a cycle near Schull on 24 July. He was airlifted to CUH by the charity-funded Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) Air Ambulance.
Darren and his friends came up with the idea of organising a fundraising cycle as he recovered at home. 140 people took part in the 60km event, which started and finished in Skibbereen, on Saturday 2 October.
Darren visited the Irish Community Air Ambulance base in Rathcoole, North Cork this week and presented a cheque for €31,457 to the team.
CEO of the Irish Community Air Ambulance, Mícheál Sheridan said: “I want to say a big thank you to Darren Lynch, his supporters, the cyclists and the entire community in West Cork for arranging such a fantastic event.
“Darren and his friends took on the challenge of organising a major fundraising cycle just weeks after he was injured in a similar event. We’re often called to cycling incidents in remote locations like West Cork and it is great to meet former patients and see them doing so well. We’re not Government funded so we rely on donations and fundraisers like this to bring hope to people in emergency situations,” he added.
Darren Lynch said: “It was really important for me to turn what could have easily been a negative situation into a positive one. I believe my recovery is down to all the emergency services who treated me that day and this fundraiser is a way of saying thanks to them. It means a lot to be able to meet the crew of the Air Ambulance in person today.
“I was one of five incidents that the helicopter responded to that day in July which really puts into perspective how important this service is.
“The cycle was a great success and I would like to thank the participants, over 60 volunteers, supporters, kind sponsors, friends, and family that helped to make the day possible. The support received is a clear reflection of the value that the local community has on this critical service.”
The Irish Community Air Ambulance is Ireland’s first and only charity-funded HEMS Air Ambulance. It works in partnership with the National Ambulance Service and is tasked to respond to serious incidents and medical emergencies from its base in Rathcoole in North Cork.