Six friends from Donaghadee are planning to roller skate from Belfast to Donaghadee lifeboat station in aid of the RNLI. The sponsored skate this Saturday 8th June was the idea of 2nd mechanic George Hackworth. George has been a volunteer on the lifeboat for 12 years and wanted to do something worthwhile to raise money for the Donaghadee station.
No sooner had George mentioned the idea to a few friends when he found a group of girls keen to join in. The girls all from Donaghadee are Kimberley Fulton, Jill Beck, Jill Banford, Christina Angus and Avril Fulton. They came up with the name Saxon Flyers after the local lifeboat “Saxon”. The Flyers are practising hard as the big day draws closer and will be starting the skate at 8am from the Odyssey, along the dual carriage way to Bangor stopping at Bangor lifeboat station and then via Ballyholme to Donaghadee. George will be skating the whole 20 miles and the girls will be doing it in relays.
There will also be an evening of entertainment in the Meadowbank social club in Donaghadee to celebrate their feat. With music by High Definition, tickets at £10 include light supper and can be purchased at the Lifeboat shop and Dunn’s Footwear.
The group, aware of the safety implications, will be supported by crew members driving the station landrover and backup vehicles.
They spent last Saturday collecting in the Bloomfield Shopping Mall Bangor, and are being sponsored by Walker Communications of Holywood, Finlay Fuels Ballygowan, Frisky Bear Holywood and Goat’s Toe, Bangor.
The RNLI is an independent charity, funded by voluntary donations and could not save lives at sea without the support of the general public.