Pair complete an iconic Canoe Race and raise almost £1,500
28 April 2014
Jon Wright of GE Aviation and Luke Harding of Mercer, a financial services company, have completed the gruelling Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race, beginning on Saturday 19th April and ending on Sunday 20th for Blesma, The Limbless Veterans, exceeding their fundraising target of £1,000 by nearly 50%.
The duo who became friends through their wives, set on raising funds for Blesma after Jon heard about the charity through his work; GE Aviation in Cheltenham have a partnership with Blesma that has seen GE staff volunteer at Blesma’s Membership events and raise thousands of pounds.
Luke came on-board due to his military associations. He was a Sapper with 32 Royal Engineers and served in Iraq and Germany during his career.
Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race started in 1948 and has taken place every year since then. Through the 50s and 60s, the race was dominated by teams from the armed forces including Royal Marines, the Parachute Regiment and Special Forces before Richmond Canoe Club broke their supremacy in 1971.
Starting from Devizes in Wiltshire on Saturday 19 April at 7am, the pair paddled non-stop all the way to Westminster, supported by a crew that met them periodically with food and hot drinks. The team completed the 125 mile course in 28 hours and 23 minutes, arriving at Big Ben on Easter Sunday.
Out of the approximately 200 boats that started the race, over a quarter failed to finish because of the gruelling nature of the event.
Jon says: “This race has been linked with the armed forces for decades and with the work that GE Aviation have been doing with Blesma during the 100th anniversary of the start of the Great War and Luke’s Army past, it just felt right that we raised money for this incredibly impressive charity. Conditions during the race were not bad but we had to contend with 15mph head winds and temperatures as low as 3°C overnight. We fell in four times but the thought of empowering injured veterans kept us going through the cold and the wet!”
Annette Hall, Head of Fundraising at Blesma says: “A fantastic effort by all involved in making sure the guys were supported along the way so they could complete this challenging event. A massive well done to Luke and Jon in raising vital funds for our wounded servicemen and women and thank you from everyone at Blesma!”
Blesma The Limbless Veterans is the national charity for all limbless service men and women, their widows and dependants. It was formed in the years following the First World War and became a national charity in 1932.
To show your support to Jon and Luke in their fundraising efforts, please go to: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/Fatboysdodw
-ENDS-
Notes to Editor
Hi-res images can be downloaded from the link below:
On the water:
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Luke (L) and Jon (R):
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About Blesma, The Limbless Veterans
Blesma, The Limbless Veterans is the national charity for all limbless serving and ex service men and women, their widows and dependants. It is a membership organisation which helps wounded service men and women rebuild their lives by providing rehabilitation activities and welfare support. Their membership includes those who have lost the use of a limb, an eye or the sight of an eye.
Blesma was formed in the years following the First World War and became a national charity in 1932. Blesma today has over 4000 Members and widows. The membership consists of men and women who have served during the Second World War and the many subsequent conflicts and peacekeeping operations since, including the Falklands, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan.
About GE Aviation
GE Aviation is a world-leading provider of commercial and military jet engines and components as well as avionics, electric power, and mechanical systems for aircraft with an extensive global service network to support these products.
Follow us on Twitter @BLESMA
For further information on Blesma, The Limbless Veterans, contact
Bryony Stevens, Media and Communications Assistant
T: 020 8590 1124
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