THE boss of a Southside company has completed the first half of a gruelling 6,000km solo cycle from Dublin to Belgrade and back.
On Saturday, September 14 Mark Keating finally arrived in the city after departing from his home in Bray, Co Wicklow, almost exactly a month earlier, on August 12.
Mark, the CEO of Whitewater, a leading supplier of water purification equipment based in Stillorgan, was delighted and relieved to be able to present a cheque for
?¬8,000 to the Institute of Mother & Child Health Care in Belgrade that he raised through his endeavours.
The money will help the hospital purchase equipment in the burns unit to replace a skin graft machine that is 20 years old.
The new Skin Graft Mesher that they can now buy thanks to Mark’s help will reduce the chance of additional infection to children who have suffered severe burns.
A huge crowd saw Mark off, including staff and their children, grandchildren, suppliers, representatives from Our Lady’s hospital for Sick Children and his much valued sponsors.
From his home he pedalled his way onto the Stena Line Ferry in Dun Laoghaire where he bid farewell to his family and departed Ireland.
By Day 7 he had completed 10 per cent of the journey as he arrived in Dover, England having come down through the Welsh mountains.
After crossing the English Channel he landed in France, where he travelled through Flanders and on into Belgium, down through Luxembourg and over to Germany.
Along the way he camped in the wild beside the rivers and awoke in the morning to birds, dogs and rain.
He survived an encounter one evening with a wild boar that wanted to share his tent and reached Vienna by Day 25.
Three days later, on September 8, having cycled a total of 2,840km he arrived in Budapest.
Buy following the Eurovelo 6, a cycling route that goes from the Atlantic Ocean in France and all the way to the Black Sea, he finally reached Belgrade.
When he leaves Belgrade on the return leg of his journey, he will be raising funds for Temple Street and Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children.
It is hoped that he can raise a massive
?¬26,000 for each of the two hospitals through donations.
Speaking before he set off Mark explained that in 1993 he volunteered for 18 months with the Red Cross to help improve the lives of people and children shattered by the war in the former Yugoslavia.
“Twenty years on, I would like to use this anniversary as a catalyst to help improve the lives of children here in our children’s hospitals as well as once more helping children in the former Yugoslavia,
? he said.
For more information and to track Mark’s progress visit www.whitewaterfoundation.org
To make a donation log on to www.whitewaterfoundation.org and follow the Paypal instruction.