Bernie Traynor who is doing the sponsored cycle with her grandsons Darragh and Conor RMG04
TWO big-hearted Maguiresbridge boys are undertaking a 10 mile charity cycle next week to help other children in the developing world who don’t have access to clean drinking water.
Daragh (8) and Conor Traynor (9) will cycle from Maguiresbridge to Enniskillen on the morning of Sunday, July 3. The boys came up with the idea for the cycle themselves after hearing about the plight of children in Africa and are using the cycle to raise money for Fermanagh priest Fr Brendan Shannon, who works with impoverished families in Uganda.
Their dad Paul, who will be accompanying the boys on their cycle along with their grandmother Bernie, said: “It was Daragh’s idea. He was watching TV and saw that children without clean drinking water and wanted to do something to help. Darragh had met Fr Shannon before but didn’t know he what he did until their grandmother, Bernie, told them about his work.”
Paul said after talking with his sons they came up with the idea of doing the cycle, which has since snowballed thanks to Bernie’s efforts raising awareness of the event.
“We didn’t think it would be such a big deal at first, but it has just snowballed and taken on a momentum of its own,” he said, adding he had been out training with his sons in preparation for next week’s cycle. “They took it on themselves, and now they’re really putting the effort in.”
The boys’ mother Clara said the family were very proud of the St Mary’s PS pupils. She added Daragh had even wanted to donate all his First Communion money to the cause.
“They’re brilliant, this is all their own work,” said Clara, who will be driving along the cycle for support. “Daragh came home from school one day and said he wanted to do something for charity. We thought nothing more of it, but he kept saying about it. So we asked him what he wanted to do, and Paul suggested the cycle.”
Clara said her mother-in-law Bernie then told them about Fr Shannon’s work in Africa, and they decided to raise money for his projects.
Daragh said he was looking forward to the cycle and his friends had been very supportive at school.
If you want to support Darragh and Conor’s cycle, sponsor cards are available around the area, or you can call into the family business, Traynor’s Carry-Out in Maguiresbridge, to drop off your donation.
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