Chris Clark and Charlie Hanson are cycling to Paris for Level Trust
Tomorrow the Hatters will bid club secretary Chris Clark and press and marketing executive Charlie Hanson 'Bon Voyage' As they cycle from Luton to Paris to raise cash for the club’s partner charity of the season, Level Trust.
The pair are now increasingly nervous as the 24 hour countdown begins, before they set off on their 200-plus mile ride.
Clark said: “Six months ago – when we signed up for the event – it seemed a long way away, when the weather would be much warmer and we could prepare with loads of training.
“Now, it’s becoming more daunting, the weather is still cold and we’ve not done loads of training...
“But the primary cause remains – the simple statistic that 27% of children in Luton live below the poverty line was shocking six months ago and is still shocking now.”
Clark and Hanson are part of a group of 20 or so people who have signed up to make the journey, starting at St Matthews Primary School in High Town, before powering through London and onto Brighton, then taking an overnight ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe on the north coast of France. From there they will cycle the final 100 miles to the French capital and hopefully arrive at tea time on Saturday.
Hanson said: “I am now starting to wonder how prepared I actually am! Chris and I have gone on a couple of practice rides in recent weeks and months, including riding from Kings Cross station in London down to my granny’s house in Eastbourne, which was about 80 miles.
“I know though that riding with the group with the thought of the fundraising we have all done burning in the back of our minds, it will help power us on all the way to Paris – hopefully it’ll also be enough to distract us from the burning pain in our legs!
"But from meeting the Jane Malcolm, who runs the charity, you can tell how much fantastic work they do in the local community and it's great for both Chris and I to be able to involved."
You can sponsor the Kenilworth Road duo on their JustGiving pages:
Chris Clark’s JustGiving page:https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cdclark
Charlie Hanson’s JustGiving page:https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Charlie-Hanson2
Everyone at the club wishes you both good luck!