Dear All,
SOUTH ATLANTIC MEDAL ASSOCIATION 2020 RIDE OF RESPECT 2020
On behalf of the Airborne Forces Riders and the 2020 Ride of Respect team, – Charlie, Tony, Phil, Iain and myself – please accept our very grateful thanks to everyone for all of the support given during our ride, especially your very generous donations to SAMA and practical help along the way.
Overall, the ride went very well, and we were able to keep to the allotted timings within a few minutes each day. Much of this was down to your local knowledge, escorting us through the difficult bits and the support of riders who were able to pre-recce routes, graves and memorials before we got there. This saved a huge amount of time and enabled us to spend more time with the families of the fallen, and former friends and colleagues. It was an honour to meet so many of the families of the fallen, our only regret being that we had to move on so quickly to keep up with the programme.
As we approach the 40th anniversary of the Falklands war we feel that we fully achieved our aims of Remembrance, Respect and Awareness. We sincerely hope that now that we have mapped out where the Falklands graves and memorials are, that others may pay these a visit from time to time, keep them tidy and presentable, and honour those who fell for the freedom of others.
An additional bonus is that I am delighted to inform you that so far we have raised over £7000 for SAMA on our Just Giving page, some 300% over target due to the generosity of everyone who supported us. the page will not close for a couple of months yet so if you have not donated yet there is still time.
Already we are planning the SAMA 2021 Ride of Respect, and following lessons learnt over the last two years, it is likely to take place over a longer period of 01-15 August 2021. I will publish more information on this in the New Year.
Once again, our many thanks for your help and support. It is very much appreciated.
Paul Moore
Charlie McColgan
Tony McKie
Phil Damant
Iain Omerod
Airborne Forces Riders
Ride of Respect Team 2020
