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Bikers prepare for mystery tour

Wednesday, 24 February 2010

A GROUP of kind-hearted motorcycle enthusiasts with a sense of adventure will take to the roads of Ireland later this year on a magical mystery tour that will raise much needed funds for Southside based charity Down Syndrome Ireland. The annual Rev-up4DSI charity event, scheduled for the forthcoming May Bank Holiday weekend, will see over 100 motorbike riders travel over 1,000 kilometres on the country’s most scenic roads. The event has raised a massive e820,000 for the charity since it was first organised in 2006. It was the brainchild of one of Down Syndrome Ireland’s funding coordinators Aidan Lynam (34), from Lucan, whose four-year-old daughter Robyn has Down Syndrome. Aidan said the event involves a considerable element of mystery as riders are not told their route before they embark on the trip and only find out as they go along. In addition, the motorbike riders take in some of the most breathtaking scenery in the country and have to travel in excess over 1,000 kilometres over the three-day event. “Every year we head off from Joe Duffy’s BMW Motors in Finglas but we don’t tell the riders where we are headed in advance,” Aidan explained. “The idea is that we are going on a mystery tour. Riders get a route sheet and a map at each checkpoint and that will get them to the next checkpoint and so on. “They navigate between checkpoints and at the third one they find out where their hotel is. “There is an element of mystery involved because obviously people don’t know where they will be going next,” he added. “This also prevents people who are not involved from joining the group and that helps from a safety point of view.” Aidan revealed that people from all walks of life take part in the event each year. The charity is currently encouraging more motorcycle enthusiasts to sign up for the event. People who want to take part have to have a driving licence, the use of a motorcycle and would have to collect e750 in sponsorship money. “In previous years riders generally raised e1,000 each but this year with the recession we decided to lower the amount,” he said. “We have over 100 bikes and riders so far. “We have one of the senior anaesthetists from the Mater Private Hospital taking part as well as senior construction company heads. We would also have a lot of ordinary Joe soaps from the street going along.” All funds raised through the event go towards the further development of Down Syndrome Ireland’s National Resource Team (NRT) which comprises experts in the fields of medicine, counselling, education and independent living. Anyone who would like to raise sponsorship money by taking part in the event or who would like to donate to Rev-up4DSI can log onto www.revup4dsi.ie.