[M]embers of a motorcycle club have raised almost £2,500 to help young people with cancer in memory of a Cumbrian teenager who died last year.
Megan Pryde, of Little Corby, near Carlisle, died in June 2017, at the age of just 19, after being diagnosed with bowel cancer the previous year.
Megan was treated on the specialist Teenage Cancer Unit at the Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle, which is funded by Teenage Cancer Trust. Megan wanted to help fundraise for the charity, as a way of saying thank you to all the amazing doctors, nurses and staff who helped her and her family.
So far her family and friends have raised more than £20,000 for Teenage Cancer Trust – Megan’s dad Mike ran the London Marathon while others have taken on the Great Cumbrian Run, a zipwire in the dark on the Quayside in Gateshead, and a kiltwalk in Glasgow, not to mention numerous bucket collections, bag packs and bake sales.
The Cumberland County Motorcycle Club are the latest to join in the fundraising effort in Megan’s memory, with more than 80 riders taking part in the Teenage Cancer Trust Charity Trail around Hartside, Unthank and Gamblesby. Organiser Alistair Bell explained: “I do work for Hills Garages, which is owned by Megan’s grandad David, and was really inspired after hearing about Mike running the London Marathon and all the other things the family have done to raise money and awareness for Teenage Cancer Trust. So we organised this trial in memory of Megan and it was really well supported. We had around 200 people there altogether and raised £2,403 in total, as well as hopefully raising awareness of cancer in young people.”
Natalie Rutherford, Local Fundraising Coordinator for Teenage Cancer Trust in Cumbria, said: “Currently for every young person with cancer we reach, there is another we can’t, so we are really grateful to the Cumberland County Motorcycle Club for their support and for choosing to raise funds for us. Money raised from this charity trail will help us to reach even more young people with cancer in Cumbria in the future.
“I would also like to express our immense gratitude to all of Megan’s family and friends who have so far raised more than £20,000 for Teenage Cancer Trust and continue to raise more. This money really will make a huge difference to the lives of young people with cancer.”
The motorcycle club event was sponsored by Hills Garages and Gretna Bakery and was held with the kind permission of landowners Richard Mason and Paul Rennison. Water was donated by Princes of Armathwaite and the organisers would also like to thank everyone who kindly donated raffle prizes.
Teenage Cancer Trust is the only UK charity dedicated to improving the quality of life and chances of survival for the seven young people aged between 13 and 24 diagnosed with cancer every day. The charity works to support young cancer patients and their families with expert care and support so that they do not have to face cancer on their own.
