Fundraiser at Athelhampton House for Dorset Mongol Rally Team
Friday, January 11th, 2013
As part of the fundraising efforts for the 2013 Mongol Rally, a local team are hosting a fundraising ball at Athelhampton House on the 23rd February, all proceeds of which will be split between Spinal Research and the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance.
A team of four Dorchester men are taking the challenge to drive two small and highly unsuitable Suzuki Altos the 10,000 miles from Goodwood to Ulaanbaatar, the Mongolian capitol, in order to raise money for two worthy causes.
Guests are invited at 7PM for a 7:30 luxury three course dinner, made from the finest local ingredients, from the Blue Vinny Tartlets to the braised beef brisket, (vegetarian option available) finishing with a mouth watering tasting plate of desserts.
There will be live music from the band Howling at the Moon (TBC), as well as a DJ, an auction of promises and a chance to play with fate in the team’s ‘breakdown roulette’!
Tickets cost £35 for the whole evening, and a limited number of after-dinner tickets are available for £10. For tickets or enquiries, please email dorsetmongolrally@gmail.com. Carriages at 12:30.
About The Rally
This year’s Mongol Rally will be the tenth annual rally, and so far the event has raised over £2million for charities worldwide. As well as fundraising, it also brings much needed vehicles and spare parts to rural Mongolian families,who often live in very isolated areas.
The Dorset team (Chris King, Tom Thornycroft, Lee Goddard and Paul Reis) plan to first cross Europe and then head into Turkey via Romania and Bulgaria. They then aim to continue east through Azerbaijan and Iran before tackling the ‘Stans’ – Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan – and then finally heading onto the Mongolian Steppe via Russia.
The rules of the Rally are simple: firstly, your car must be under 1.2 litres, and secondly, you are completely on your own and unsupported. There is no set route and no support cars, meaning that if things go wrong, there’s noone to call for help!
About the Charities
The Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is a hugely important service that saves lives day in, day out in rural communities, and relies completely on the support of local people for its funding.
The Air Ambulance is able to reach anywhere within Dorset or Somerset in under 19 minutes of receiving a call, meaning it can be absolutely vital in life-threatening or time-critical emergencies.
On average the air ambulance is deployed 3-4 times per day, but this can increase to up to 8 times a day in the summer.
Spinal Research is a charity that focuses on finding effective treatment for spinal injuries. Their aim is to improve sensation and movement in people suffering from paralysis, and to work towards being able to achieve spinal cord repair to transform the lives of paralysed people in the UK and elsewhere.
The Dorchester team decided to undertake the rally in support of these charities after a friend was paralysed from the neck down in a severe accident. The immediate emergency response from the Air Ambulance and the long-term support and care provided by Spinal Research was invaluable, and prevented a tragic story from being sadder still.
You can sponsor the boys and donate to either of these fantastic charities by clicking on the links below, and following the instructions on the page.
