Vision Express volunteers have completed a 300km ride in aid of Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT).
The two-day Ride4Sight celebrated the company’s 30 years of trading by aiming to raise £30,000 for the charity. So far, £27,000 has been raised.
Olympian Darren Harris and Paralympian Bryan Steel rode a tandem bike during the ride and were joined by Jonathan Lawson, Vision Express’ CEO and Ian Ellington, CHECT chairman and general manager of PepsiCo UK.
Ellington said: ‘Because we’re such a tiny charity, the support from the Ride4Sight is a lifeline. My son Tom was diagnosed with retinoblastoma 10 years ago and as a parent, hearing your child has cancer is possibly the worst thing you can imagine. To all the Ride4Sight riders, thank you from the bottom of my heart.’
The riders were greeted by CHECT ambassador Lewis Tideswell in Nottingham, who was diagnosed with retinoblastoma in both eyes as a baby. He has since made a full recovery.
Lawson added: ‘This is my fourth Ride4Sight and it doesn’t get any easier, but I’ve been honoured to meet some truly inspirational individuals, and that spurs you on. Having eye cancer survivors, like Lewis, join us along the route brings home exactly why we’re doing this.’