This morning nearly 30 SSE Airtricity employees set off on Stage 1 of the company’s Tour of Ulster cycle challenge, which aims to raise more than €25,000 (£18,000) for local charities.
The cyclists left SSE’s Gartnaneane Wind Farm in County Cavan at 10am this morning, embarking on a three-day challenge which will finish on September 17 at the company's Slieve Kirk Wind Park in County Derry~Londonderry.
The 300km cycle will raise much needed funds for local charities, including Marie Curie NI, the Irish Cancer Society, and the Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland.
The cyclists will cover over 91km in Stage 1 of the tour, passing through a number of towns, including Shercock, Cavan, Belturet and Ballyconnell.
In total, the participants will pedal more than 6,000km or 3,750 miles over the three days, which is equivalent to cycling between SSE's Slieve Kirk Wind Park in Derry~Londonderry and the company's Coomacheo and Curragh Wind Farms in Cork more than 11 times!
Pat Tierney, Tour of Ulster organiser and participant, commented:
“It's great to finally be getting the challenge underway! The Irish Cancer Society, Marie Curie Foundation and Alzheimer Society of Ireland are all inspiring charities which we are supporting as part of our participation in the SSE Tour of Ulster cycle. At SSE Airtricity, we’re proud to make a positive difference to the communities in which we live and work, and hopefully the SSE Tour of Ulster will do just that.”
The team are on track to reach their fundraising target of €25,000 (£18,000) and it’s not too late to donate using this link.