Hospiscare
The Dillon family
Gavin, Barry and Ricky Dillon in training for The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (Credit: Hospiscare)
A local family is gearing up to take on the challenge of a lifetime to raise funds for their local hospice.
Barry Dillon and his twin sons, Ricky and Gavin, will take on The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route in North America to support Hospiscare, the local hospice charity that cared for their beloved wife and mother, Carol Dillon.
On 1 July, Barry, Ricky and Gavin will set off from Banff in the Canadian Rocky Mountains with a route of almost 2,700 miles ahead of them. Their journey will take them to altitudes of over 3,600m, with 90% of the route ‘off-road’, in order to reach their final destination of Antelope Wells on the US/Mexican border.
Although they enjoy cycling as a casual hobby, Barry and his sons have never taken on a cycle challenge before. With the demanding and unfamiliar terrain ahead of them, the Dillons expect the epic route will take them approximately three and a half months to complete. The trio plan to wild camp along the way and dad Barry will celebrate his 70th birthday on the trail!
The family has one clear motivation for taking on this incredible challenge – to raise as much money as possible for their local hospice charity in memory of Carol.
Carol’s son, Gavin, explains, “It leaves a big hole when you lose someone close to you. We wanted to have something to focus on, something for Dad to focus on, and fundraising for Hospiscare seemed like the obvious thing to do.”
Carol’s husband, Barry, continues, “Without Hospiscare, Carol would have suffered a lot of pain. As soon as Hospiscare came on board, it changed everything.
“Hospiscare deserves our help because without donations, there would be no Hospiscare.”
As the local hospice charity for Exeter, Mid and East Devon, Hospiscare cares for over 2,500 patients and their families every year. The hospice relies upon dedicated supporters like the Dillons to raise the £8 million needed every year to ensure that its specialist services are provided at no cost to those in need.
Barry, Ricky and Gavin are self-funding the challenge, from the cost of their mountain bikes to their flights and supplies, so that every penny they receive will go directly to Hospiscare. Their commitment to this once in a lifetime opportunity has led Ricky and Gavin to give up their jobs and the leases on their flats to take on this adventure with their father.
The Dillons are aiming to raise an incredible £20,000 for Hospiscare with their pedal power, the equivalent of 340 visits from the hospice’s specialist nurses to patients’ homes.
To donate to Barry, Ricky and Gavin’s challenge, and support local people facing life-limiting illnesses, please visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ricky-dillon.
Follow the Dillons’ progress and stay up-to-date with their incredible journey via Hospiscare’s Facebook and Instagram.