Cyclists of all abilities will be getting on their bikes on Saturday, October 1st for the second Friends of the Air Ambulance charity cycle. The 60km event starts and finishes in Skibbereen travelling through the heart of West Cork. 

Last year’s cycle raised more than €30,000 for the Irish Community Air Ambulance. The charity works in partnership with the National Ambulance Service and is tasked to treat serious and life threatening emergencies. The organisation’s Helicopter Medical Emergency Service (HEMS) Air Ambulance is based in Rathcool, Co Cork with its Volunteer Emergency Medical Responders on the ground in Dublin, Mayo, Donegal, and Wicklow.

The fundraiser is organised by Darren Lynch from Caheragh with the assistance of his close friends and family. Darren was airlifted to hospital in July 2021 after he was involved in a serious cycling accident. Darren said:

The Irish Community Air Ambulance is a vital service for the people of West Cork. Life can change in an instant whether you’re working on a farm, out driving or playing sport. The difference in rural areas is that we’re so far from the hospital. On the day of our cycle last year, the crew was called to a serious road traffic collision in Bantry. Just two weeks later the helicopter landed in the exact rugby field where the cycle began after a player sustained injuries. I know of several other incidents the crews responded to over the last year. We regularly see the helicopter in the skies above West Cork and it’s a reassuring sight to see.

CEO of the Irish Community Air Ambulance, Micheál Sheridan said:

We’re really grateful to Darren and everyone who is taking part in the second Friends of the Air Ambulance Charity Cycle. We have so many wonderful supporters in West Cork. They are helping us to expand our services and reach even more people in rural Ireland. We now have more volunteer Emergency Medical Responders on the ground across the country, staffed by doctors who volunteer their time and provide hospital-level interventions at the scene. By responding to the patient in the community quickly, the specialist doctors can intervene earlier, essentially bringing the Emergency Department to the patient and giving them the best chance of survival.

Registration for the second Friends of the Air Ambulance Charity Cycle takes place in the Skibbereen Carbery Showgrounds from 9.00am to 10.30am on Saturday, October 1st. There will be a rolling start for all participants. 

The entry fee for the cycle is €50, to sign up visit: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/air-ambulance-charity-cycle-2022-tickets-415908482467 

There is also an online campaign for anyone that would like to support the fundraiser 

https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/SupportersofTheAirAmbulanceCharityCycle 

For more information about the service or to make a donation directly to the Irish Community Air Ambulance visit https://communityairambulance.ie

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