I will be taking part in a fundraising cycle for the benefit of Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, from Malin Head to Mizen Head from 14th. to 19th. July. Our chosen route covers a distance of 433 miles. We will be averaging 75 miles a day for the first five days and just 26 miles (Bantry to Mizen Head) on the last day. Please sponsor me by clicking on the fundraising page that has been set up for me by Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital at: http://www.cmrf.org/sponsorshipManager/Usr_EventDonation.asp?EventId=223  

If you then e-mail me at onyerbike@the-pedaling-pensioner.org I will insert your name in an appropriate box on my website http://the-pedaling-pensioner.org/M2M.html and inform you.

I  did two 8 hour non-stop fundraising cycles at the entrance to East Pier, Howth on the May Bank Holiday weekend (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the 2nd./3rd. May 2009) for the benefit of Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin. I had intended to cycle on Monday 4th. also but the weather was unsuitable. However, I still managed to raise €2,145 in sponsorship. A big, big thank you to all of you who supported a great cause and made the saddle-sores acquired in pursuit of my fundraising goal, worthwhile!

Article in Irish Independent:

My web site

My Bebo Page

Malin Head to Mizen Head Cycle 2009

Cycle Across America 2010

Monterey Cycle Challenge 2008

Members of CanTeen Ireland on an adventure outing.

I am hoping to do an 8 hour cycle on a training frame, in a shopping centre, in the near future, to raise much needed funding for CanTeen Ireland. CanTeen Ireland is a nation-wide support group for young people who have or have had cancer. The date and venue for the cycle will be announced later. (Probably in early summer).
Please visit CanTeen Ireland’s website at http://www.canteen.ie

CanTeen Gang at Barretstown

Irish Independent. Saturday 17th. January 2009.

Elaine Keogh

Saturday January 17 2009

A TWO-year-old boy who suffers autism will finally get an assistance dog after his mother raised €45,000 towards the cause.

It’s believed it is one of the largest sums ever fund-raised by an individual in the history of the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, who provide and train assistance dogs.

Lucy Owens from Tullyallen, Co Louth, yesterday presented the cheque to the organisation, and, if all goes to plan, her son Joey should have a dog sometime next year.

"The effort she put in has been phenomenal. For an individual with their family and friends, this has to be the one of the greatest fund-raising efforts in the history of the association," said its regional development managerPaddy Coyle.

Mrs Owens and her husband Pat believe the whole family will benefit from the dog and its calming effect. They have three other children, including an elder son who is also autistic.

Among the many events held was an abseil down the side of a hotel by school mums and other friends.

Last week pensioner Eugene O’Leary cycled for eight hours in a shopping centre and raised another €1,200.

"It took on a life of its own and every day people are coming up and giving me money," said Mrs Owens.

Yesterday she presented the cheque at Aiken army barracks in Dundalk as the abseil was done under the supervision of army Sgt Alan O’Reilly.

- Elaine Keogh

Did an 8 hour non-stop cycle with my bike mounted on a training frame in the Scotch Hall Centre in Drogheda on Saturday 10^th. January 2009 to raise some sponsorship towards the funding of an assistance dog for a little autistic boy named Joey Owens. The cycle raised €1,200 on the day and there is some money still coming in.

Below is the family story as told by Joey’s  mother, Lucy - seen below in the photo. Please visit her bebo page at http://www.bebo.com/GuideDogForJ

Joey with Eugene: “The Pedaling Pensioner”
Both my sons have Autism, Luke is 8 and past the age of needing an assistance dog, Joey is a whole other story, he’s 2 1/2 and very, very lively. For his own safety and the sanity of his parents we are on a crusade to fundraise for an assistance dog for Joey!!!! We also have two lovely daughters Grace(6) and Rachel (1).
We had a bucket collection in Drogheda Friday 24th Oct and raised €5750! Thanks to all who helped out! We just had our sponsored ABSEIL down the d-hotel in Drogheda, with special participants, TV3`s Aidan Cooney & Sinead Desmond! Thanks to Sergeant Alan O`Reilly from The Defence Forces and to the D hotel. It was an amazing day thanks to all 26 participants!!!!! Alan & tha army guys presented Joey & Luke with a special needs bike, it was so touching! great day!!!!!!!!

Due to the present economic situation, I have been unsuccessful to date in raising the necessary corporate sponsorship of €12,000 to enable me to become the first Irish “Old Age Pensioner” to cycle across America and thereby raising my sponsorship target of €250,000 for Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin.

Unless the necessary corporate sponsorship is raised by the closing date for entries on Saturday 12^th. April, I will have to postpone my attempt until 2010. I will however be carrying on with my efforts to reach my fundraising target of €250,000 for the Children’s Hospital and will be taking part in and organizing fundraising events throughout the year.

I am completely inexperienced in raising corporate sponsorship and my amateurish efforts to date have been almost completely unsuccessful. I am now asking (begging) anybody with experience in the field to help out and give me some urgently needed advice and mentoring, so that I can go ahead with the planned event this summer. Please help!

My e-mail address is eugene.cycleogical@gmail.com Web site: http://the-pedaling-pensioner.org Bebo page: http://www.bebo.com/PedalingPensioner Phone: 086-0571612

Helen O’Leary Memorial Cycle 2009

Would you like to experience a great weekend of camaraderie and craic in late April 2009, while supporting a great cause? Would you like to experience the achievement of cycling from Limerick to Dublin and back, or just completing one leg of the cycle? If so, read on.

In an effort to help me reach my fundraising target of €250,000 for The Children’s’ Medical & Research Foundation of Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin, a cyclist friend of mine (Pat Gleeson) from Cratloe, Co. Clare, is organising a fundraising cycle (The Helen O’Leary Memorial Cycle 2009) from Limerick to Crumlin on Saturday 25^th. April 2009 and returning to Limerick on the following day.

The following are the provisional details of the cycle:

Depart Limerick University at 8 a.m. on Saturday 5^th. April.

Stop when we reach Portlaoise for soup and sandwiches.

Arrive Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin at approximately 6 p.m. to be greeted by Miss Diva Next Door 2008 and some of her fellow competition contestants, plus Foundation staff.

We will then go to our hotel for the night, where entertainment will be provided by any one of a number of bands/folk groups who have offered their services free of charge. Details will be provided at a later date.

On the following morning we will depart Crumlin at 8 a.m. sharp and head back for Limerick where we will be greeted by some more personalities.

Transport for luggage to and from Dublin will be provided.

Requirements for participation in the event:

An application form together with a deposit of €200 made payable by Bank Draft or Money Order to “TheHelen O’Leary Memorial Cycle” must reach the organizers (addresses below) before Monday 6^th. April 2009. This deposit will be used to pay for hotel accommodation in Dublin, plus transport costs and snacks along the route and the event cycle jersey.

Each participant is also requested to raise a minimum of €500 made payable to “Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin” and forward it to Pat Gleeson, Station Road, Cratloe, Co. Clare or Eugene O’Leary, 67 Grace O’Malley Drive, Howth, Co. Dublin prior to the event. It can also be handed over on the day of the event, but should be handed over as a Bank Draft, Postal Order or cheque made payable to the hospital.

Get on your bikes and enjoy yourselves and in doing so support research into finding cures for childhood diseases which are presently terminal and for the provision of support for sick children and their families at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin.

Registration form can be downloaded by clicking here

To read an account and view photos of my recent fundraising cycle across Ireland, please click here