On Saturday 4th September, a cohort of industry professionals cycled from SFL in Reading to PLASA Show at Olympia London to raise money for Backup, the technical entertainment charity and mark the return of PLASA Show.
14 cyclists made the journey, representing Autograph, Avolites, Backup, Collaborative creations, Creative Technologies, Event Decision, PLASA, SFL, SLX, TSL and White Light. One team cycled 40 miles direct to London, while the other traversed the challenging Surrey Hills – together they have so far raised over £1,300, with donations still coming in.
BikeFest follows several industry bike rides in recent years coinciding with PLASA Show, which have all raised funds while promoting mental health and support. In the wake of the COVID lockdowns, the 2021 cycle felt more pertinent than ever.
PLASA’s Managing Director Peter Heath, comments, “These fundraising events are always important, but this year meant so much more as a huge number of our colleagues have suffered both mentally and financially due to the pandemic. As a team, we were honoured to fundraise for Backup which does superb work for those in need. Here’s to the 2022 ride where we look forward to many more of you joining us!”
White Light’s John McEvoy reported from the 80-mile route: “After negotiating a few busy roads getting out of Reading, the miles soon ticked off to get us to our first stop just outside Farnham. Suitably refreshed on coffee, and fig rolls provided by our support driver, PLASA’s Nicky Greet, we set off to tackle the toughest part of the route, which had us all struggling up climbs in the Surrey Hills, including the legendary Box Hill, part of the London 2012 Olympic road race route. One final stop at the top of Box Hill for more coffee and biscuits and we were on our way to complete the last section into Richmond Park. We arrived to find the 40-mile group waiting for us (and asking very politely what had kept us), so no time to rest, and straight on to Olympia from there to finish en masse. By the end, we racked up 91-miles, climbed over 4,600ft, and were all glad to see the finish, but we’d had a great day out on the bikes, and are all looking forward to doing it again next year.”
Backup Trustee, Lee Dennison, added, “The 40 mile industry legends Peloton negotiated two isotonic watering holes, a kamikazee dog and a short ferry trip as we negotiated a lovely ride in aid of Backup. Thank you to my fellow riders for embracing the day, and a big thankyou to SFL for their pre-ride support, bacon sandwich and coffee as we set off. It would be lovely to see more of the industry on the ride next year.”
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