Charity rider close to hitting £10,000 target in memory of Ludlow teenager

Kyle Williams, a 23-year-old website designer from Ludlow, will be cycling through 15 states in memory of his friend Joel Lawrence, who died of cancer aged 19.

He will be accompanied by support team Richard Clarke, George Jacks and Mike Baker – and a fluffy toy of Star Wars character Chewbacca that once belonged to Joel, who died in 2010, which can be seen at www.facebook.com/JoelsWish

Joel's Wish is for the relief and assistance of 19-30 year olds with a life-limiting cancer diagnosis. It was founded in 2010 after our best friend, Joel Lawrence of Ludlow, tragically passed away from stomach cancer at the age of just 19-years-old. A cancer diagnosis, especially a terminal one, is difficult at any age.

Just imagine how devastating it is for a young person and the immediate family, when financial and time constraints make it very hard to cope with the need to travel 60 miles and further, each way, for treatment.

Joel's illness and death highlighted a serious lack of support available to him and his family during this extremely difficult time.

Kyle said: "We're calling him Billy the Bear for copyright purposes.

"Basically it was Joel's dream to travel across America, and he will be representing that dream. The bear will be the focal point – we'll be posting pictures of him outside the White House, the Golden Gate Bridge and Statue of Liberty."

The team will be flying out on April 16 and are being supported by Ludlow Rotary Club - who have been in touch with their counterparts across the USA. The ride is in aid of Joel's Wish, a charity set up in Joel's memory aiming to provide support to cancer sufferers between 19 and 30 in Shropshire and Herefordshire.

"A huge amount has happened in the last month," Kyle said.

"We have already raised £9,900. Everything's now been bought, car hire and insurance sorted out, we're all ready to go.

"Ludlow Rotary Club has contacted over 100 clubs in America and we've started to get a trickle of responses back - all of them so far have said they will provide accommodation and meals and some are arranging fundraising sessions at local medical centres and universities and so on to tie in.

"Some of the Rotarians have said they will accompany me cycling some of the way, into their town and seeing me out of town again.

"We've also contacted bike clubs in America and some have invited us out to community events and so on.

"And we've been given a GPS tracking device which means people can track where I am live by logging on to the website," he said.

Kyle hopes to complete the trip in just 40 days, and the friends intend to keep a blog, and make a video, of the journey of Kyle and Billy the Bear.

The team is holding a fundraising 80s disco night on March 20 at the Marches Bar and Kitchen in Ludlow town centre. Tickets are £10 and available from The Marches, The Compasses on Corve Street or Costa Coffee on King Street. Proceeds will be split between Joel's Wish and CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young).

Anyone wishing to sponsor the team should visit website joelswish.org