Atlantic rowers hand over cash to charity
When four rowers, two from Shropshire, set off last year to row the Atlantic they not only wanted to complete a very personal challenge, they wanted to raise money for charity.
Now the first cheque from the Atlantic Mavericks' fundraising has been handed over to the Royal British Legion.
Ian Davies from Oswestry and Roy Dixon from Shrewsbury together with Ian Duncan from Devon and Richard Baker from Somerset in December left La Gomera in the Canaries in December.
Fifty days and 19 minutes later after 3,000 miles of rowing, the men, all ex-forces, docked in Antigua and stepped onto dry land to waiting family and friends.
They said they had done what they wanted, finished the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge as they had begun, as friends.
Last weekend Mr Davies presented a cheque for £2,500 to the Shropshire branch of the Royal British Legion at a ceremony in Ellesmere.
Mr Ian Williams, the chairman of the branch, said the money would be used to help any serving or ex-servicemen or woman from Shropshire that were in need.
"The Atlantic Mavericks completed an incredible challenge and we are honoured to benefit from it," he said.
Mr Davies said other cheques would go to Myeloma UK and the 353 charity.
He had to fight his own battle with Myeloma.
During the Atlantic Challenge the Mavericks had to deal with seasickness and huge waves that dwarfed their boat.
Ian Duncan said they had put complete trust in their boat, Miss Daisy, which they refurbished on a budget.
“Even in the angry seas, in the dead of night, we felt perfectly safe,” he said.
