Friends get set for rally challenge
Four friends set off on a 1,400 mile trip across Europe this month to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Mr Mark Moody, of Sutton-on-Trent, and Mr Jason Booth, of Claypole, will be joined by Mr Neil Dixon, of Coddington, and Mr Rob Pitches, of Retford, for the Staples2 Naples car rally in an 18-year-old Renault Laguna sprayed bright pink.
Teams taking part in the four-day rally, which will see them pass through France, Switzerland and northern Italy, must travel in a car worth £250 or less. The event starts on Friday, August 24.
The group will be spurred on by thoughts of Mr Moody’s mother, Elaine, who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2006, at just 52.
“Since mum was diagnosed it’s been devastating to see her slowly decline as the disease has taken hold,” said Mr Moody, a highways engineer.
“Knowing that there’s little we can do to help her is incredibly difficult, but that’s why research is so important — it’s the only way this disease can be beaten.
“Driving across Europe will be an amazing experience and we are all looking forward to taking on this challenge.
“We are expecting it to be good fun and we will have the chance to take in some beautiful scenery along the way, but, of course, our main motive is to raise as much money as we can for this important cause.”
Mr Booth, who runs Jason’s Motor Repairs in Balderton, said it would be an adventure, and he hoped the car would cross the finish line without too much trouble.
“We will pay for all the costs of the journey, so every penny we raise in sponsorship will go straight to Alzheimer’s Research UK,” he said.
In the six years since her diagnosis, Mrs Elaine Moody and her husband, Mick, have been made Champions of Alzheimer’s Research UK in recognition of the exceptional support they have shown the charity.
Mrs Moody ran the London Marathon to raise money for research and although she is no longer able to run and needs round-the-clock care, family and friends have continued to raise money.
Companies are being offered the chance to advertise on the car in return for £50 sponsorship.
Several have already backed the challenge in other ways. Insurance for the journey has been provided by DB Wood Ltd and paint for the car was donated by Newark Paint and Hardware. Willsons Printers in Newark has offered to print the sponsorship adverts free of charge.
An hour’s research into the disease, which affects nearly 19,000 people in Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire, costs £20.
Jodie Vaughan, senior fundraising officer at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Every penny we spend comes from the public, and it’s thanks to people like Mark, Jason and their friends that we can support crucial research.”
