Tirlán employees bid to raise €50,000 for charities through one day cycle today in Kilkenny

Tirlán employees are getting on their bikes today (Friday, September 8) in a community-wide drive to raise funds for and awareness of three major charities that do Trojan work in the region.

The inaugural 'Tour de Tirlán' includes cycles over three distances - 40km, 130km, and 200km with 70 cyclists in all leaving from Tirlán’s Collaboration Hub in Abbey Quarter in groups from 8am to 12noon onwards and returning to the site post cycle for refreshments.

Kojaque ready to storm the stage in Kilkenny

The new three distance format was aimed at encouraging as many people as possible across the farmer-owned cooperative to get on their bikes and raise as much money as possible for the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation, the Father McGrath Centre in Kilkenny and Amber Women’s Refuge.

"Tour de Tirlán has set an ambitious target of €50,000 raised for charity this year, which is a €10,000 increase from monies raised last year through a similar event," , Jim O’Neill, cycle spokesperson said.

"To help us achieve this, we’ve tweaked the event format to include distances that will appeal more to leisure and pleasure cyclists.

"Colleagues from across our organisation are being encouraged to take up the Tour de Tirlán challenge and raise much needed funds for these worthy charities. As part of our Living Proof sustainability strategy, we’re committed to supporting our employees, suppliers, customers and consumers and the communities in which they live and work.

"Many of the cycle participants have been involved in a similar fundraiser run over 8 years which, to date, has raised over €330,000 for various local and national causes. We’re proud of what we have achieved up to now and look forward to a great adventure with colleagues. With the support of the wider Tirlán community we hope to meet this year’s €50,000 target."

Starting and finishing at Tirlán’s Collaboration Hub in Abbey Quarter, the charity fundraiser will be a one-day event.

To donate, visit Tour de Tirlan|Fundraising Event Ireland (idonate.ie)