Laois men to cycle 500km for cancer charity

Two Laois men will cycle over 500km in aid of a fantastic cause.

Following the sad passing of his father three months ago, Mark Young from the Heath and his friend Joe Bland from Portlaoise will undertake the grueling cycle over the next four days.

The pair set off from Ballyroan on Friday morning, and intend to travel through Inch, Dunmore East, and follow the coast to Dungarvin. The pair will then cycle home through Clonmel in Tipperary, before returning to Ballyroan. 

Pictured: Mark and Joe head off on their cycle 

"We are doing this in aid of the night nurses," Mr Young told the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

"My dad passed away three months ago, and they were in with us on an ongoing basis. The level of care and professionalism from them was incredible, during such a stressful time for us all. They were always there, particularly in the last few weeks before my dad passed. Their support was fantastic," he said.

Both Mr Young and Mr Bland cycle regularly, and decided that a cycling fundraiser would be a fantastic idea.

"The fundraiser is going surprisingly well, at first we were just sending the GoFundMe link to our families and friends," Mr Young explained.

"We had originally planned on doing the cycle over the course of three days, but we have a lot of gear and the cycle is unsupported, so we decided to make it four.

"It's nice, people have really shown their support as it's a decent amount of mileage. Even though we are used to cycling, it's a good challenge for us. " he said.

"The donations have been amazing, we're delighted with how generous people have been. Every donation helps," Mr Young finished.

The Irish Cancer Society are a community of patients, survivors, volunteers, supporters, health and social care professionals and researchers.

At the time this article was written, the fundraiser has already amassed a whopping €2,700.

To donate to Mark's fundraiser, click HERE.