By Robb Murray
The Free Press
MANKATO —
Do we really need an excuse to hang out with some Irish fellows, toss back a few pints and throw a little cash into the cancer research kitty?
Probably not. But here’s one anyway.
Three blokes from Dublin are bicycling their way across the states to raise money for cancer research, and on Saturday, they’ll be taking a break at Patrick’s on Third in St. Peter — what better spot than an Irish pub?
The riders are Eoin McNamara, Mark Leonard and William Kerwin. McNamara is riding in memory of his girlfriend’s mother, and Leonard is riding in memory of his father. Both fell victim to cancer. Their ride is being done to benefit the Irish Cancer Society and Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong Foundation.
Fundraising has been the trip’s central mission, and the three have been at it since 2007 when they biked across Ireland and raised 10,000 euros.
This time around, however, they wanted a little more excitement. So they headed across the ocean and planned a route that would take them from Seattle and across the northern part of the country.
“The guys had been planning their trip to America since they finished their Irish cycle,” said Donal Lucey, who works as a driver for the team.
As for fundraising, they’d set a goal of 20,000 euros this time. But they’d reached that before they left Ireland. So their goal for the ride is now to raise 10,000 more (or $12,705 in U.S. currency).
Along the way they’ve been stopping in towns and trying to get the attention of locals so they can raise more money.
After a few pancake breakfasts and events where well-wishers are encouraged to bike out to meet them, they’ve been collecting cash and have slowly been making their way to their goal.
At Patrick’s Saturday, the event will be highlighted by a performance by an authentic, straight-from-the-homeland Irish band called the Brazen Lungs. The band happens to be fronted by a man who handles the web design duties for the riders.
As for how they came to plan a route through Minnesota, Lucey says they looked at a map and decided it’d be a good idea to stay away from “tornado alley.”
St. Peter, somehow, seemed safer.
