Stephen Hunter, from Ballyclare, will take on the challenge of his life in support of Hope365. Instead of ‘lapping the lough’ in a 95 mile cycle with the 2500 other participants, Stephen will ‘Slap the Lough’, hitting an incredible 500 miles of cycling, by continuing the endurance test for an extra four days, ending at the Ballyclare Hope365 store.
Thousands of people gathered on Sunday past at The Hill of the O’Neill to begin the cycle of Lough Neagh, organised by a not-for-profit organisation, Upbeat Agency. Aiming to increase bike-usage and support other charities in their fundraising events, the Lap the Lough event happens annually, with great popularity each year.
While the other cyclists rest up and recover, Stephen is cycling on, and has already raised more than £2500 which will go directly towards ensuring a better life for street kids in Shashemene, Ethiopia. The father of two has just started cycling recently but gets a lot of support from his wife Zoe and daughter Faye, who are also keen cyclists and often join him on his training sessions. Stephen described that this really was a huge test of endurance for him but one that will make such a difference: “I’ve decided to push myself to the limits for those kids who have nothing because comparatively speaking we are millionaires. I have two children of my own and the thought of them having to sleep in a ditch or on the street just makes me shudder. Knowing that the money raised will be providing beds for young children should keep me going.”
Hope365 works to bring kids in Ethiopia off the streets. Representatives from the organisation have seen more than 1000 kids living rough in the town of Shashemene, some as young as five years old, with no one to care for them. Some have been orphaned or are victims of divorce and poverty, while others have been trafficked from other towns with the false promise of “finding work”.
As the charity’s name suggests, the aim is to help these kids 365 days per year. All money raised through Stephen’s fundraising cycle will go towards the new ‘Streetkids Centre’ in Shashemene, to give these children a permanent home. The charity works hard to ensure reunification where possible, offering financial support to parents whose kids are on the street due to poverty. The money will also go towards providing educational support for the kids, as well as vocational training to ensure they gain the skills to become productive adult members of society.
Hope 365 chief executive, Michael Holmes, shows his support: “We’ve all got hobbies and interests and at Hope365 we believe it’s possible to turn virtually any hobby into a fundraiser of some sort, like Stephen, whose pastime will help transform the lives of street kids. Stephen’s a great example of someone who is doing exactly that with this really ambitious and challenging cycle.”
As a sign of support and to raise awareness of the plight of the street kids Michael and the staff of the Ballyclare Hope365 shop are having a “Street Sleep” overnight on Wednesday night and Stephen will be leaving from the shop for his fifth and final lap on Thursday morning.
To show your support for Stephen’s ‘Slap the Lough’ achievement pop down to the Ballyclare Hope365 shop to cheer him on as he cycles through that magic number of 500 miles to reach the finish line on Thursday. You can also visit his fundraising page to donate, https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/stephenhunter.
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