>The ride took place on Sunday 7th August 2011. Gareth, accompanied by parents Peter and Isobel set out from Kings College Hospital, London at approximately 8.45am.
The aim of the ride was to create more awareness of the need for everyone to give blood. Gareth received 6 bags of blood platelets whilst in hospital. Quite simply without this he would have died. Before his illness Gareth had donated blood on 5 occasions so he feels he is in debt to the value of 1 pint of blood. Regrettably, due to his illness, he is no longer permitted to give blood.
If, by doing this ride we are able to encourage more blood donors to donate on a regular basis he will have repaid his debt and more than made up for all the occasions in the future where he would have donated but now can’t.
Only 4% of the population are regular blood donors, so, 96% of the population rely on this small amount of people for their survival in the event of a major trauma.
The ride time was a fraction over 6 hours and the total ride distance was 76.2 miles. We received a brilliant reception when we arrived at St Richards Hospital in Chichester.