Ok I can’t put it off any longer – it’s time to start getting the miles in for this thing I have signed up for in just 3 months’ time. The Straumann Ride (or ‘Dentists in Lycra’ yikes) will be me and 40 others on a 5 day 500 mile bike ride from the mediterranean coast to the atlantic coast through (you’ve guessed it) the Pyrenees. For me, a non-cyclist, it’s quite a stretch. I’ve done loads of work in the gym over the past 3 months, now it’s time to hit the road on the bike (and thanks to Colin Campbell for the loan).
The fabulous group of people I will ride with have been drawn together by Straumann UK – a premier dental implant manufacturer – to raise money for Bridge2Aid. They are made up of customers and staff, all with a sense of adventure and a slightly psychotic need to punish their bodies and challenge their minds through the Spanish mountains. Straumann have been outstanding supporters for the past few years, and I can’t wait to join them for this ride.
If you haven’t come across us before, Bridge2Aid provides rural communities with a way out of pain in places where there are no dentists. Dental disease is huge (the world’s biggest disease in fact), and in places where there aren’t any dentists (more than 70% of the world), the consequences are painful and can be life threatening.
And that means that people like Petro are at real risk. We came across him during one of our rural treatment clinics, during which we train local health workers in emergency dental skills. He had a severe abscess which was causing a huge swelling and agony. His local health worker in the village didn’t know how to treat it and so his parents had taken him to see a witch doctor in desperation. Razor blades and soot aren’t recognised treatments in the UK for good reason, but that’s what Petro got.
The ride we’ll do in September will change the lives of kids like Petro. In many cases the local health workers we will train using the money raised will save lives too. Because Petro wasn’t just in agony, he was just 6 weeks from death – all because there was no-one skilled and equipped to treat him in his village. Because of our work and the support of the Straumann ride, there will be more health workers trained to provide emergency dentistry in the places where kids like Petro live in the future.
And so I want you to help. I’m getting on my bike doing this thing, and that provides you with the opportunity to be a hero to kids like Petro, and get behind me with a donation. I want to raise at least £1,000 in the next 3 months. Because I see far too much of this kind of suffering, but we can do something about it.
It’s dead easy – either hit this link (https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/MarkTopleyStraumannBikeRide) to use your credit card, or pick up your mobile and text CODE (followed by £5 or £10) to 70070. So that’s ‘CODE £10’ sent to 70070 to give a tenner.
I hope you’ll take a minute and do it now.
Thank you
Mark Topley – CEO Bridge2Aid
