Brothers plan to pedal their way to Paris for charity (From Gazette)

Brothers plan to pedal their way to Paris for charity

7:00pm Wednesday 29th August 2012 in News By James Calnan

FOUR brothers are planning to cycle from London to Paris in memory of a friend who died of cancer.

Colchester man Arif Ahmet is joining his brothers Tarik, Tarkan and Hakan, plus two friends, on a 2,400-mile, three-day journey, which starts on Sunday.

They are aiming to raise money in memory of Eren Pars, from Chigwell, who died aged 21 in June after a tumour was discovered in his spine.

The six riders, aged between 26 and 36, are attempting the ride in aid of Connah’s Appeal, which supports Welsh ten-year-old Connah Broom, who has a similar tumour.

Tarik said every penny raised would go to the cause, as the trip was self-funded.

He added: “We’ll be covering all of our own costs and setting off equipped with no more than a backpack each, some energy bars and our bike repair kits.

“We’re cycling enthusiasts and we just thought we would take the opportunity to raise money for a cancer charity because we recently lost a close family friend of ours who was only 21.

“We spoke to his family and asked who they would like us to raise money for in honour of him.

“I’d like to say we’re pretty confident, but after the first ten miles, we will probably start wondering why we are doing it!”

You can support the riders by calling in on Arif at Loofers Food and Coffee Place, in Culver Street West, Colchester, or sending Paypal payments to hakanahmet85 @googlemail.com For information about the charity, visit connahsappeal .co.uk