Luxury tour operator Azure Collection is to hold a charity bicycle trip in Italy two years later than planned, after the original event in 2020 had to be cancelled because of the pandemic.
Azure’s managing director, Jayne O’Gorman, who is organising the event, has also recruited several travel agents to take part in the 250-mile cycling event from Venice to Milan on 21-26 June.
O’Gorman told TTG Luxury that 35 people had already signed up for the event, which will raise money for the Amy and Friends charity.
Amy and Friends supports children and families suffering from Cockayne Syndrome (CS) and Trichothiodystrophy (TTD) – a rare condition that can cause premature ageing and cancer in children.
The charity is named after Amy Hughes, who died in January 2020, and was set up by her mum Jayne Hughes, who will also take part in the charity ride alongside Amy’s sister Laura.
O’Gorman said that they were still looking to recruit around 10 participants for the ride in June which is classed as being moderate in difficulty.
Those taking part need to pay £100 to register and then raise a minimum of £1,050 in sponsorship for Amy and Friends. Registration closes at the end of April.
“It’s going to be an amazing event and we’ve already got a lot of people who have agreed to take part, including staff from Azure and travel agents,” added O’Gorman.
The event is also being sponsored by several luxury brands, including Rocco Forte Hotels, Mandarin Oriental, One&Only, Carlisle Bay and Four Seasons.
“That really helps as well because it increases the pot of money we can raise for the charity,” said O’Gorman.
Find out more and register for the event using this link