Charity Gig December 28th 2008

A charity gig with Disco afterwards has been organised for the 28th of December in the Talbot Hotel. A group of Wexford's finest musicians will play a mixture of popular tunes from old to new in order to raise money for the Tracie Lawlor Trust. Tickets will be on sale soon for €10 and there will be raffle tickets available on the night.

We are in the process of picking a name for this event and we want you to visit www.tracielawlortrust.com/events so that you can vote for your favourite name from the ones we've picked already, or you can send us your own ideas by clicking "other" and typing it in.

We'd like to take this opportunity to again thank everybody who has already participated in events, are planning their own fundraisers and those who have generously donated to our cause. You can visit our www.tracielawlortrust.com/news to see the past and upcoming events for the Trust.

China helps CF in Wexford!

Darragh Hudson from Wexford, who was a dear friend of Tracie has decided to organise his own charity cycle in aid of Cystic Fibrosis in China where he is currently working. Darragh could not participate in the Irish Cycle and has rallied up four friends to do a cycle for this charity which is so close to his heart. The cycle will take place on the 2nd of August and all sponsorship raised will be sent back to Ireland to be added to the €60,00o0 already raised from the cycles in Ireland and Kentucky. Please show your support for Darragh and Co., by clicking on the donate button on the right. Good luck with the training boys!

Sponsorship Update

The sponsorship raised from the two charity cycles for the Tracie Lawlor Trust has now come to €60,000. There are still donations coming in and many more events coming up to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis. Keeping checking the blog and the website for updates

Kentucky Cycle

Cathal Beale and the gang in Kentucky pedalled their way from Louisville Racecourse to Keeneland Racecourse today to raise funds and awareness for Cystic Fibrosis. The journey took six and a half hours and the seven cyclists each received a medal on their arrival at the finish line to honour their achievement. In total Cathal raised over $1,500 to send over to Ireland to be added to the €55,000 raised from the Irish Cycle. Well done lads!

Charity Event

Cathal Beale has organised a table quiz in Lexington Kentucky for Cystic Fibrosis. This will take place on Wednesday the 23rd of April, just four days before the Kentucky Charity Cycle. Cathal hopes to raise funds to help C.F. sufferers in his home town and everyone in Wexford wishes him the best of luck

Cycle for Cystic Fibrosis

The cyclists who traveled from Dublin to Wexford last Saturday (5th April 2008) did the Cystic Fibrosis Tracie Lawlor Trust proud. A sea of t-shirts with Tracie's picture sailed down the M50 to raise much needed funds and awareness for C.F. sufferers. It was a spectacular event to witness as those less experienced riders drove on with a determination that was almost tangible. The members of the Wexford Wheelers led the way with many passing through the designated rest stops and tunneling for the finish line.

All those who participated were met in Castlebridge by Tracie's mam Philomena who gave each one a medal for their achievement, and received a proud handshake from Tracie's dad Ian. All cyclists finished way ahead of schedule and were greeted by a huge crowd who turned out to support them. John Morrissey and Ruairi Culleton, the main organisers and close friends of Tracie's were very happy with the outcome along with all those others who helped out doing all the small things that needed to be done.

The total sponsorship raised has come to a massive €36,000 with more still rolling in. A big thank you to all those who generously donated money to this worthy charity. Pictures and updates of the event can be found at www.cycleforcysticfibrosis.com. We are still asking people to donate any money they can spare by using the donate button on the blog and website.

One thing is for sure, the Cycle for Cystic Fibrosis 2008 is just the beginning of events to come for this charity ...

Climb for Cystic Fibrosis

Philip Walsh who is a dear friend of Tracie Lawlor has decided to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for Cystic Fibrosis. Philip, or Pip as he is better know to his friends, will set out on his journey on the 6th of July in an attempt to climb the fourth highest peak in the world. His website www.pipwalsh.com has been dedicated to the memory of Tracie and has all the information on this spectacular event. We wish him all the best.

Cystic Fibrosis Charity Cycle Kentucky and Ireland

Two parallel cycling events have been organised for the 5th of April in Ireland (Dublin to Wexford) and the 27th of April in Kentucky(Churchill Downs to Keeneland) . These events are to raise money for families who are affected by Cystic Fibrosis in Wexford and to raise awareness of the poor facilities in Irish hospitals for C.F. sufferers.

These charity cycles were organised by the family and friends of Tracie Lawlor from Wexford, Ireland who sadly passed on the 10th November 2007. Tracie lived a full and vibrant life which was in no way defined by her illness. Those who were lucky enough to know her were inspired by her enduring spirit and irresistible charm. Tracie is the inspiration behind these events which we hope will make a significant difference in the hometown of our dear friend.

Cystic Fibrosis is an inherited disease which affects the lungs and digestive system. Almost one in twenty people are carriers, and where two carriers have a child there is a one in four chance of that child having this life-threatening disease. Ireland has the highest incidence of cystic fibrosis in the world (30 to 40 children are born with CF every year) yet the life expectancy of CF sufferers in Ireland is lower than those in Britain and the US. This is because of the lack of suitable facilities in the country and therefore the reason for our cause.

Full details for the Kentucky Cycle

· Cycle has been organised by Cathal Beale
· Takes place on the 27th April 2008 from Churchill Downs to Keeneland
· The route is approximately 125km
· The journey goes through Mt. Washington, Taylorsville, Lawrenceburg and Versailles
· All roadworthy bikes will be accepted but racer or hybrid bikes are recommended
· Cyclists are expected to begin at 9am
· There will be a reception at Keeneland upon arrival

Full details for the Dublin to Wexford Cycle April 5th 2008

Many people have been emailing the gmail account looking for information on the charity cycle for Cystic Fibrosis from Dublin to Wexford so here are the details that you may find helpful -

• Cycle is on the 5th April 2008 from UCD to Castlebridge (approx 135km)
• Registration is between 8am and 8.45am with plans to be on the road at 9.00
• The route is via the N11 with a detour through Shankill to avoid the motorway
• There will be refreshment stops along the way where people will be collecting money
• Transport will be provided for you and your bike back to Dublin on Sunday
• Overnight accomodation is the responsibility of the individual
• Participants are expected to raise €200 or more in sponsorship
• All bikes that are seen to be roadworthy will be accepted though racer bikes or hybrid bikes are recommended
• All cyclist must wear a helmet or they will not be able to register
• People are asked to confirm their participation by Thursday 21st Feb
• There will be a reception in Culletons Pub, Castlebridge on arrival

Thank you

Irish Cycle Training

A training programme and safety statement have been published on our website ( http://www.cycleforcysticfibrosis.com/ ). With less than two weeks to April 5th, the programme might help those involved to know at what stage they should be, at this time. The safety statement is to inform you of who is involved in the running of things on the day and to assure you that you're in safe hands! There is also a list of Wexford accommodation on the website for those who live outside the County and need somewhere to stay on the night. Good luck to everyone who is in training!

Another charity cycle in aid of Cyctic Fibrosis is being organised - this time in China! A date has not yet been set however it is to take place sometime in May. Details of the precise date and route to follow. Well done to Darragh and those others who are planning this event.

Beat FM

John Morrissey did an interview yesterday (Mon 10th March) about the charity cycles for Cystic Fibrosis. Thank you to Beat FM for allowing us to broadcast these events to your listeners and a big congrats to John. You did us all proud!

Tshirts for Cycle

We currently have a tshirt order with Wexford Area Partnership for the charity cycle for Cystic Fibrosis. They will say on the front "Cycle for Cystic Fibrosis, UCD to Castlebridge, 2008" and on the back "In memory of Tracie Lawlor, www.cycleforcysticfibrosis.com" If anyone who is involved in either the Irish or the American cycle would like a tshirt they can email us as info@cycleforcysticfibrosis.com They are only €4 each

RTE Radio 1

Gerry Ryan and Joe Duffy have agreed to mention the charity cycles on their shows in the next week. Not only will this help us to raise more money but is invaluable advertising to raise awareness for Cystic Fibrosis. We are hoping that we will also get an interview as a follow up to Joseph Lawlor's (Tracie Lawlor's brother) interview with Joe Duffy a couple of weeks ago.

Fundraising

A big thank you to the first year students in Bridgetown who collected money on Main Street Wexford today (3rd March). They raised over €600 for Cystic Fibrosis. Well done lads!

Bridgetown Raffle

Tickets were sold on Friday 29th Feb for a raffle to raise money for the Tracie Lawlor Fund, Cystic Fibrosis. We raised €146, not exactly €11,000 but every little helps! A big thank you to all the students and teachers who bought tickets for our cause. The prizes will be given out next week to the lucky winners. The prizes were donated by Sam McCauley's, Gemelyse, Fehily's Chemist, Rattigan's, Regency Gold, Cloud 9, The Book Centre and Whites Electric and Spectrum.

Riverbank Benefit Night for Cystic Fibrosis

Congratulations to all those who were involved in organising the charity night in the Riverbank Hotel in aid of Cystic Fibrosis. It was an honour to witness such a successful event for which over 1500 tickets were sold. The night was seen to be enjoyed by all with an audience ranging from age 16 to 60. The music created an incredible atmosphere with a special credit to the Lawlor family who had everyone on their feet 'til the early hours. The tickets, auction and raffle not to mention the keyrings and pins, raised a considerable amount for this charity which is so close to all of our hearts. A special congratulations to Ian and Phil Lawlor without whom this event could not have been possible. It was a night Tracie would have been proud of xxx

Riverbank Benefit Night

The night in the Riverbank hotel for the Tracie Lawlor fund raised €11,000. Well done again to the Lawlor family and everyone else who was involved. Let's hope the charity cycle will be just as successful

Donation Button for Cystic Fibrosis Wexford

Hey all,

As you can see i've added a new donate button! Hopefully we can raise some funds for the Tracie Lawlor Trust. For those people who are not doing the charity cycle either in Ireland or Kentucky, this is another way to contribute. Don't forget to click on the "update total" button before you go to log into paypal or put in bank details. If you're making a donation please tell your friends to do the same - no amount too great or small!

T-shirts for Tracie Lawlor Trust, Cystic Fibrosis

Wexford Area Partnership have been good enough to make 25 t-shirts that say - Tracie Lawlor Trust, Cystic Fibrosis Wexford. They will be used for Bridgetown students to collect money in either Tesco or Dunnes in the next few weeks but after that they may be useful for those who will be at the stops on the 5th April for the charity cycle when we are collecting money and handing out water and stuff. If anyone is interested in doing this and want one of the t-shirts just email the cycle for cystic fibrosis account and we can organise how to give them out then

Collection in Wexford Town for Cystic Fibrosis

Students from Bridgetown Vocational College will be on Main Street Wexford on the 3rd March 2008 to collect money for the Tracie Lawlor Trust. They will be wearing white t-shirts with the charity written on them. If you see them please give generously. The money collected will go to Cystic Fibrosis sufferers in County Wexford. This event is in conjunction with the charity cycles in Ireland and Kentucky.

This is a notice to anyone who is interested in doing the charity cycle for the Tracie Lawlor Trust, Cystic Fibrosis. It would be appreciated if you could confirm your participation in the cycle by Thursday the 21st February. This can be done by emailing cycleforcysticfibrosis@gmail.com. Once you have signed up, a sponsership card will be mailed to you along with a safety statement,training plan,accommodation listings and a map of the route.

The route from Dublin to Wexford, Ireland is approximately 135km and it is expected to take ten to twelve hours depending on the experience of the cyclist. It is hoped that each participant will raise €200 or more.

The route from Louisville to Keeneland, Kentucky is approximately 125km. Anyone who is interested in participating in this cycle can email cbeale@darleyflyingstart.com

Raising Awareness for Cystic Fibrosis Charity Cycle

I have emailed Ray D'arcy about the C.F. Charity Cycle - just letting him know what it was about and asking him to mention the event on his show and call out this blog address. I'm not too confident about hearing back from him but I'm gonna keep annoying him anyway so he might eventually get fed up! I thought if we could actually get him to do the cycle it would create so much more awareness about Cystic Fibrosis in Ireland and more than likely generate more money for the Tracie Lawlor Trust. I'll let you all know if I hear anything!!!