THE CHALLENGE
As some of you may know Gary Blesson (aka Flash) has been training for the hardest cycle event he has ever faced.  Less than one month from today he will be cycling over 1,700 kilometres from Portugal to London with his good friend Dave Shepherd, an extremely experienced rider who has also been training and racing hard to get to peak fitness for this event.  The ride will take two weeks to complete (without backup) commencing on Friday 1 August from Miranda do Corvo in Portugal and arriving at the final destination, Kingston Specialized Concept Store, on Saturday 16 August.  This will be a test not only of their strength and endurance but also their dedication to raise money for a very special and specific cause.

THE CAUSE
Gary's closest friend, Richard Winchester (aka Chello) was diagnosed with Myeloma, a type of bone marrow cancer, in 2005.  This is quite a rare cancer for someone in their early 40s and therefore it took a long time to diagnose.  Although treatable there is no cure - remission can last for months or sometimes years.  Chello's kidneys were so badly damaged that he needed a kidney transplant.  Miraculously, his own wife was a perfect donor match and her kidney now keeps him alive!  Since then, the cancer has returned and Chello has endured further chemotherapy, not to mention a multitude of other health issues as a result.  Somehow Chello manages to stay positive and not lose his cheeky sense of humour, as you will see from the photo below.  Inspired by Chello's own daily challenge to survive (hence the Chello Challenge) and his courageous and positive attitude, Gary decided to undertake this journey in Chello's honour and asked Chello to choose who he wanted to benefit from the money raised.  His choice was Maidstone Hospital Renal and Kidney Transplant Unit, who gave him a new lease of life and have been a massive support throughout these difficult times.

THE REQUEST
We are now asking anyone who wishes to sponsor Gary and Dave for this journey to please email with your pledge. The goal is to raise as much money as possible for the Maidstone Hospital Renal and Kidney Transplant Unit to purchase equipment which would otherwise not be possible to improve the quality of the patients' stay in hospital after such traumatic operations and treatment.  Although it will be an achievement for Gary and Dave just to complete the ride, they will be especially motivated by the satisfaction of knowing it will benefit a cause so close to Chello's heart (or should I say Kidney!).  Your kind donations towards achieving this goal will be greatly appreciated so please dig as deep as your pockets will allow – just 5 or 10 pounds might mean you miss a beer after work or a takeaway dinner but to a patient it could mean a simple pair of headphones to help take their mind off the pain.    All equipment will have to be purchased and donated to the Unit after the event.  Therefore your generosity is even more important. 

To donate please USE THIS JUST GIVING SITE or visit http://www.delucci.co.uk/delucci-chello-challenge/ for more information .  Donations can be paid now or on completion of the event. 

Updates during the event will be posted on the Delucci Retreat Facebook page – please follow their progress.  Gary and Dave will need all the moral support they can get!  And for all the keen cyclists amongst you please keep a lookout on the Delucci Retreat website http://www.delucci.co.uk/news/ for details of how to join the final section of the last leg of their journey. 

Finally, please spread the word – every penny counts!

Kind regards,

 RICHARD

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.