Pedal-powered ­fundraiser for Peadar

LOCAL fundraiser Peadar White is more used to being behind the wheel but next week the Ennis man will be on two of them. The 69-year-old will be taking on a 24-hour static cycle challenge to raise funds for local Samaritans service.

The vintage car enthusiast, who along with the Bald Eagles group, has raised money for many local charities, is currently busy training for the cycle which will take place in The Square, Ennis next Wednesday. The date has been chosen to recognise the Samaritan’s work in providing 24/7 emotional support to anyone struggling to cope.

According to Peadar, “We want to promote awareness of what the Samaritans do and also to raise a few bob for them. Last year in Clare alone, the Samaritans received 16,690 phone contacts. We have been raising money for the Samaritans for a number of years now, they do fantastic work providing around the clock help to people. July 24 is their national awareness day, and we wanted to do something to promote that.”

At 12 noon on Wednesday,  Peadar will start the challenge, cycling 50 minutes of every hour for a full 24 hours. There will be a second bike there on the day, with a number of other cyclists set to join Peadar and give him some support with the effort.

There are hopes that this latest fundraising venture could get Peadar into the record books.  “We don’t know if there is a record for this, but we will try and set one. But this won’t be a serious event, it’s not a serious head down cycle it will be a laugh and the cycle will be relaxed. I’ll be taking ten minute breaks every hour and I am positive that I will be able to do the whole cycle. We’re all really looking forward to it.”

Co-ordinator for the event is fellow Bald Eagle Mary O’Donovan and Peadar has been in training since late last year. “The training has been going brilliantly. We started last December with me doing ten minutes on the bike and I do four to five kilometres a day of a relaxed walk. I’ve been training on the static bike, and I came up with the idea of putting it in the sitting room and watching television when I’m training,” he laughed.

Peadar is hoping that plenty of people will come along on the day and cheer on the cycling effort and show their support. “It would be great to have a good crowd there, and we will have buckets out with some volunteers collecting on the day. There will be lots of young people there with us, showing that the Samaritans are there to support young people, they are there for everybody. We will also have a courtesy vehicle there where people will be shown the type of work that the Samaritans do. Samaritans provides confidential, emotional support, by telephone, personal visits, email, text message and letter through its branch network. People contact them about a wide range of issues.”

Plans are also underway to broadcast the fundraiser through Samaritans 24/7 radio. This is a joint venture with GSFM, an internet radio station based in Ennis and operated by veteran broadcaster Ger Sweeney. The venture started as a way of promoting Peadar’s record attempt. However, the idea soon caught on and it was decided that the internet radio station and website should be made available to promote as many of the Samaritan events as possible that will be happening across the 20 branches in Ireland.

GSFM will become Samaritans 24/7 Radio between 11.30am on July 24 until at least noon on July 25. The purpose for this is to be with Peadar as he starts and finishes his record attempt.
People in Clare can call to the Ennis Samaritans on the Kilrush Road from 10am to 10pm, seven days a week, while the Samaritans helpline number is 1850 60 90 90. Further information about the organisation’s work is available at www.samaritans.ie.