Tallaght man takes on charity cycle for the blind

A TALLAGHT man is to embark on a 540-kilometre cycle for the Irish patient-led research charity Fighting Blindness.

From June 23 to 29, Liam Keighery (51) from Kilnamanagh, will cycle from Geneva, Switzerland to Montmellion in France to help raise funds for the charity that supports world-leading research into treatments and cures for blindness.

From there Liam will travel from Bourg D’Oisan to Guillestre, then to St Etienne de Tinnes before finishing in Nice. The gruelling cycling challenge will take in six major Tour de France climbs and is one of the toughest cycling challenges the charity is involved with.

To date, Liam has raised

?¬12,000 for Fighting Blindness which goes towards funding the charity’s research into cures and treatments for blindness as well helping to pay for a unique professional counselling service for people and families affected by sight loss.

An employee of Amarak which chose Fighting Blindness as its charity of the year, Liam was awarded the community involvement award 2011 at the annual employee awards for his work.

Avril Daly, CEO of Fighting Blindness, thanked Liam for his fundraising efforts.

“Fighting Blindness relies heavily on the commitment and dedication of fundraisers like Liam,

? she said.

“Individual and company donations as well as the tireless fundraising activities of our supporters around the country allows for the future development of projects which give hope to visually impaired people worldwide.

?

Upcoming Fighting Blindness active challenges for the year include an India Trek in October and the Lake Garda Cycle to Italy’s north-eastern region in September.

Fighting Blindness is working to find cures and treatments for rare, genetic, age-related and degenerative conditions that affect an estimated 100,000 adults and children in Ireland and 40 million worldwide.

Since 1983, Fighting Blindness has invested

?¬10 million in over 40 research projects in Irish and international institutions.

For more information about treks and/or fundraising opportunities email Clodagh at trek@fightingblindness.ie or tel 01-7093050.