A group of volunteer cyclists from Scoil Ghobnatan and An Garda Síochána have been in training throughout the winter in preparation for a marathon four-day cycle from Malin to Mizen Head over the upcoming June Bank Holiday Weekend. The aim of the cycle is to raise funds to help children with special needs. The group, make up of cyclists from the Mallow and Killarney areas, decided to focus their efforts on helping to find funds to help young children access assessment and support services like occupational, speech and play therapy. “Rather than families having to wait for pub-licly-funded support, which in these stringent times can be inordinately long, or have to bear the full cost of private referral, the cyclists have decided to establish a fund which will enable children get the help they need”, Michael Walsh, Principal, Scoil Ghobnatan National School, one of the co-ord-inators, explained. “I have seen first-hand the difference access to occ-upational therapy, speech or play therapy can make to a child with special needs. Very often families have to fund these supports. We want to help. Rather than curse the lack of supports or ask families under great financial pressure to face the awful choice of not being able to continue support, we want to do something about it. Each cyclist will cover all his own costs, and every cent raised will be directed to helping children.”
The cyclists can be contacted through Michael Walsh, Principal of Scoil Ghobnatan on 022-22192, or Garda John Horgan, Mallow Garda Station 022-21105 for sponsorship. Sponsorship cards are available from any of the cyclists taking part. They will set out from Malin Head on Saturday 2nd June. The cyclists will arrive in Mallow on Mon-day 4th June and will set out for Mizen the next day for the final leg of the marathon cycle. Please support!