2013: Around Thames Valley in 80 Ways

80 Ways Around Thames Valley

Wednesday 13th November, Thames Valley Rotarians and their guests enjoyed dinner at Adams Park Stadium to celebrate completion of their very successful ‘Around Thames Valley in 80 Ways’ challenge event which raised £20,900 for the WheelPower WheelAppeal

Closing Ceremony. Left To right: Bicester Rotary Organiser Liz Yardley
Wheelpoweer CEO, Martin MacElhatton; Chair of the Poppa Guttmann Trust Mike Mackenzie
Haddenham Rotary Organiser Roger Rickard; Rotarian Treasurer Frank Readman

The money is used to buy specialist sports wheelchairs for young and recently disabled people with an aptitude for wheelchair sport. This has been shown to significantly improve their rehabilitation and rebuild their confidence and may also lead eventually to future Paralympians 

In total 25 Rotary Clubs in the Thames Valley participated with Rotarians employing 110 different methods of transport, including a ‘Model T’ Ford, a glider, a soap box, wheelie bin and Santa’s sleigh

Santa took time off from supervising construction of his Christmas Grotto at Haddenham Garden Centre, to welcome Wycombe Rotary Club President Humphrey Creed flown into Haddenham airfield by glider to deliver the baton on the last leg of the relay

Nationally, well over £100,000 has now been raised for the WheelAppeal and fund raising events are continuing in other parts of the country

Anyone wishing to contribute to The WheelAppeal can do so at www.wheelpower.com 

WheelPower CEO, Martin MacElhatton, said “A magnificent effort by Rotarians and we very much hope to invite Thames Valley Rotary Clubs to support the men and women selected to receive sports wheelchairs paid for from funds they have raised” 

Roger Rickard the Haddenham Club event organiser said “This is a fantastic result and a wonderful example of how Rotary and its Partners work together for the benefit of deserving causes.”