A sold-out ride celebrating the best of British cycling saw Garmin raise £44,000 for children’s charity Action Medical Research. Riders from Cannondale, Movistar, Lampre-Merida and Madison Genesis joined more than 700 cyclists on the Garmin Ride Out on Friday 2 September, to raise funds to help save and change children’s lives.
The 47-mile route through the New Forest was designed by Action Medical Research’s cycling team and offered a blend of forest roads, quaint villages, tree-lined bends and far-reaching views. The event, which opened to the public for the first time this year, exceeded all expectations and smashed 2015’s fundraising total of £35,000 for the UK-wide charity.
“We are delighted with the amount raised by Garmin to support our fight for little lives,” said Sam Kantorowich, Action Medical Research’s Cycling and Events Operations Manager. “Medical research for children is underfunded in the UK. For every project the charity funds there’s another one we have to turn away – simply because of a lack of funds.
“There are hundreds of thousands of children in the UK whose lives are devastated by disease and disability. We need support to fund vital research to develop new treatments and cures for sick babies and children which is why Garmin’s fundraising is so important to us.”
Richard Daish, Senior Marketing Executive at Garmin, added ‘We’re delighted to have hosted yet another successful Ride Out, which is a chance to give back to our customers in the cycling market. We are also thrilled to have beaten last year’s fundraising target for Action Medical Research, which aligns with our brand campaign to #Beatyesterday.
“All proceeds from the event will help the charity continue its amazing work; we couldn’t be happier with the result and I wish to thank all brands and individuals who contributed.”
For more than 60 years Action Medical Research has helped pioneer treatments and ways to prevent disease that have benefited millions of people in the UK and across the world. Research the charity has funded has helped to beat polio in the UK, develop ultrasound in pregnancy, fight meningitis and prevent stillbirths. Action Medical Research is currently funding research into meningitis, Down syndrome, epilepsy and premature birth, as well as some rare and distressing conditions that severely affect children.
