Hankook staff raise £6,600 through Cycle Madagascar Challenge
Two Hankook Tyre UK employees, product and pricing analyst Mike Olsen and customer service advisor Ben Thompson, have completed the Cycle Madagascar Challenge, and in doing so raised £6,600 for the international development charity, Transaid. Mike and Ben returned from Madagascar – the island off the coast of Africa, not the animated film – after completing a gruelling cycle of almost 500 kilometres across the country’s varied landscapes.
During the five day challenge the group of 25 participants tackled an average of 90 kilometres per day through the Malagasy cities, remote villages and rainforests. “I can honestly say I’ve never felt fitter than after our Madagascar adventure,” said Thompson. Olsen added: “It was a truly amazing and life-changing experience that will no doubt stick firmly in our memories for the rest of our lives. We have both thoroughly enjoyed the Transaid Cycle Madagascar Challenge, which gave us a small insight into this beautiful country and hope that the generous donations we have received will help to improve the lives of people across Africa.” So far, Transaid has raised £105,000 from the 2012 Cycle Madagascar Challenge.
“The impact of poor transport on safety, healthcare and living standards can be fatal. We are therefore thankful for the impressive and energetic fundraising efforts made by companies like Hankook Tyre UK that allow us to continue our vital work,” said Transaid CEO Gary Forster.
The two Hankook employees spent the past ten months organising a host of fundraising events including a car wash, charity gig, football sweepstakes and a variety of competitions. “We want to say a very big thank you to all of Hankook’s staff and customers who have supported us and wished us well on our trip to Madagascar,” commented Mike Olsen. “We also want to thank all the generous businesses who have donated prizes to help us raise money for Transaid, your support was also invaluable.”
The money Mike and Ben have raised will go towards the continued improvement of professional driving training standards to reduce the number of road fatalities across Africa. Transaid also works to tackle child and maternal mortality by improving access to primary healthcare in Madagascar, Nigeria and Zambia.
Anyone wishing to make a donation to Transaid then you can still visit Mike and Ben’s Transaid ‘Just Giving’ page at www.justgiving.com/hankooktransaid.
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