Over 150 guests attended the official launch party for GM Fundraising’s Hope 66 cycling epic, which was held at The Mill, Alveley, nr Bridgnorth in Shropshire on the 10^th May, 2013. In addition, a remarkable £14,587.78 was raised on the night.

The guests were greeted with a champagne reception, followed by a short video presentation, before the riders and support team were presented to everyone. This also included Mike Derham, chairman of headline sponsor, Mighton Products. Following on from this was a 3 course dinner, followed by a short charity auction and finally music was provided by Quest, an impressive 4 piece live band.

The event was supported by the hotel owner, Darren Lloyd, who is one of the riders in the team and he covered a significant proportion of the costs himself, allowing the charity to raise such a considerable sum on the night. The charity auction raised a sizeable sum, with several industry figureheads keen to outbid one another, much to the benefit of GM Fundraising and the Hope House Hospices that it represents.

With just a few months left before the riders fly out to Chicago, they will be busy fundraising and training, ensuring they are in the best possible shape for the considerable challenges that await them across the USA. For the support team the final checks on route, hotels and other operational issues are now coming to a conclusion.

Gary Morton, chairman of GM Fundraising comments: ‘What a great evening for many reasons, including the incredible amount raised. Thanks go to Darren, Emma and Lorna Lloyd their overwhelming support, along with everyone who attended, but now it’s time to focus on the task in hand in terms of training and fundraising.’