Cycle fundraiser donates to Kare to support people with intellectual disabilities

Back row L–R: Brendan McAuliffe, Ray McGlynn (Team 905), Catriona Collins (Kare), Eugene Finnegan, Francois Groenewald (Team 905), Alison Farrell and Corrinne Concannon (Kare). Front, on bike: Jack Conlon and Roisin McGrath (Kare)

Team905 Cycling Club in Edenderry has presented local charity Kare with a cheque for €3,000 raised by the 2025 Pat Jones Memorial Cycle.

Each year the club holds the event to support a local cause while also honouring Pat, a founding member who passed away suddenly in 2012.

The cheque was officially presented last week in Kare’s Edenderry service, where people with intellectual disabilities living in the community are supported by Kare to do the things they want to do.

Kare was the club’s chosen charity for the second year in a row. Last year’s fundraising enabled the service to purchase a Huka Othros adapted electric bike (pictured) that can be used by service users with support as needed.

Team905 Cycling Club was founded in 2009 and draws its members from the North Offaly and North-West Kildare area. The club name comes from the traditional departure time for the Sunday morning spin: 9:05am.

The annual cycle attracts cyclists from all over the country to Edenderry to take on either a 40km or 90km route. The event has raised over €55k for local charities over the past 11 years, and continues to go from strength to strength.

Brendan McAuliffe from Team905 commented: "Team905 Cycling Club is delighted to have supported Kare again with this year’s cycle. This annual event is a brilliant way to remember and pay tribute to our friend Pat, while also raising money for a local cause.”

Kare Interim CEO, Darren Smullen, said: "We’re very grateful to Team905 for their continued support with the Pat Jones Memorial Cycle. It’s fantastic to be building a partnership with another group that is so rooted in the local community of Edenderry and we look forward to working together more in the future.”