Weekend weather report – it was another good one! As the Captain of a ferry from here to Scotland said to my dentist last week – we are going to have another four weeks of this – thus the weekends Quay Vipers MCC ride out for the Mid-Antrim Sanctuary basked in rays of sunshine.
The original day for the event was posponed back in August due to adverse weather conditions, but the ride out on Sunday made up for that disappointment.
The word was that over 300 bikes were on the run and the amount raised was estimated at over £2500 from riders donations taking part on the run and from the sale of raffle tickets.
Parking up after the run at the sanctuary, riders were able to look around at the dogs and cats and various other small animals.
Since the Mid-Antrim Sanctuary opened in April 1996 they have have found caring homes for an average of 20 animals each month (over 7,000 to date).
They come from many sources; some are abandoned, others come to them because their owners have to go into care, some due to marital breakups, moving abroad, and others are unclaimed animals from pounds throughout Northern Ireland.
The sanctuary say, “We accept as many as possible, but as we have a strict NO KILL policy, our kennels are always full – over 70 dogs and 60 cats, as well as unwanted litters of puppies and kittens and various other small animals. They are safe in the sanctuary until another home is found.”
Now have you ever stood in a crowd and just took a step back to have a look at what is going on around you?
Well such a moment happened in the car park at the finish at the Mid-Animal Sanctuary, when burgers had been served, tea had been drunk, a dessert of a 99p ice cream had been licked when the raffle tickets were being drawn.
There was certainly a raft of donated prizes for the raffle but looking round I have never saw a group of motorcyclists, bikers and trikers call us what you will, in leathers, gortex and cut-offs listening so intendly to a woman with a microphone in hand calling out numbers from little rectangular pieces of paper.
Now there was some confusion as some of the raffle tickets were a dark peach, some were a light peach, some where a light pink, some there even said that they were a buff colour but those that won with a white ticket were straight in to pick a prize.
Looking over to my right there was a display of raffle tickets splayed out like a chinese fan with the owner groaning as ticket numbers were called above, below and in the middle of their numbers but certainly everybody needs to be proud of the money they raised.
Also the Quay Vipers should be proud of getting the run up and running again at such short notice and also all those involved in organising the event, from the marshalls to the burger flippers to the tea makers and the dedicated staff at the sanctuary.
I’ll use the words from Monty at the Quay Vipers commenting about the pictures from the run – that they – Exposed the great atmosphere for the day!
Trevor Baird
Right To Ride
Links
www.quayvipersmcc.com
Quay Vipers MCC – On Facebook
Event On Facebook – Click Here
www.midantrimanimalsanctuary.org
Mid-Antrim Sanctuary – On Facebook
Quay Vipers MCC – Mid-Antrim Animal Sanctuary – September 2014
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