Sperrin Four Wheel Drive challenge raises £3,500 for air ambulance

Back in April, the Four Wheel Drive (NI) Club ran their second Sperrin Charity Challenge which helped raise £3,500 for the Northern Ireland Air Ambulance.
By The Newsroom
Published 27th May 2016, 11:28 BST
Updated 27th May 2016, 12:38 BST
Paramedic Jane Cragg, Air Ambulance Charity Chairman Ian Crowe, NW200 Race Director Mervyn Whyte, Sperrin Charity Trial organiser Kenny Thompson, Pilot John Murray.Paramedic Jane Cragg, Air Ambulance Charity Chairman Ian Crowe, NW200 Race Director Mervyn Whyte, Sperrin Charity Trial organiser Kenny Thompson, Pilot John Murray.
Paramedic Jane Cragg, Air Ambulance Charity Chairman Ian Crowe, NW200 Race Director Mervyn Whyte, Sperrin Charity Trial organiser Kenny Thompson, Pilot John Murray.

The charity chosen for this year’s event was the Air Ambulance Northern Ireland, and the main event sponsors were delighted to be associated with such a worthy cause.

Crooks Trailers, KDM Hire, Gerry McVeigh Cars, Hagan Biomass, and Dungannon Farmers’ Mart all signed up immediately to help the event raise as much money as possible.

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By the time the 4WD vehicles had reached the first pair of quarry tests at Black Water Bridge, just north of Lough Fea, they had already traversed nineteen unsurfaced roads, most of them on private lanes.

A shorter section through Draperstown and then back down to Lough Fea via Cahore and Straw Mountain, saw the crews tackle two more tests in the quarry near Ballybriest.

As crews returned to The Garden Corner garden centre on the Cookstown Road, so the job of calculating results got under way. In the end, first prize went to Brian Curran, with Ross Milligan second and William Bones third.

Although the competition was close all day, the real winner was the Air Ambulance Northern Ireland Charity.

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In the end, £3500 was raised through entries and sponsorship, and a vast array of donated prizes were raffled at the finish leaving almost everybody taking a prize home.

The 4WD(NI) Club really appreciate the help and kindness shown by the many landowners.