Tesco Staff Keep Wheels Turning Day And Night For Charity, Muscular Dystrophy Campaign

Main Category: Muscular Dystrophy / ALS
Article Date: 21 Sep 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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Staff from Tesco stores across Yorkshire are getting ready to spend an impressive 24 hours in the saddle for a mass charity bike-a-thon to raise vital funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, Tesco Charity of the Year 2009.

From 10am on Friday 18 September until 10am on Saturday 19 September, staff at eight Tesco Extra stores across the county will be joining six other stores across Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Humberside in hosting charity cycling events. At each Tesco Extra store, staff will be taking turns in a pedal-powered team effort to keep the wheels turning day and night for charity.

Tesco Extra staff members are calling for all their customers to come along to their local store and lend their support to the staff. All proceeds will go to the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, Tesco Charity of the Year 2009. This appeal aims to raise £3 million to provide vital, specialist equipment, such as powered wheelchairs, electric page turners, and mobile arm supports, for hundreds of children living with muscular dystrophy across the UK through the Giving children equipment to be independent campaign.

Muscular dystrophy is a devastating, incurable and life-limiting condition that causes muscles to waste away, making children progressively weaker and preventing them from performing simple tasks that we take for granted, such as turning the pages of a book or brushing their hair.

Organiser of the bike-a-thon, Tesco Store Director John McAlpine said:

We're all getting geared up for this marathon fundraising effort - staff from all the stores are ready to raise as much money as we can for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign. It's a fantastic cause and I'm sure we'll all have great fun too!

Notes

-- The full list of Tesco Extra stores taking part in the challenge is:
- Barnsley, Batley, Bradford, Cleethorpes, Doncaster, Grimsby, Hull St Stephens, Leeds Seacroft, Mansfield, Mansfield Chesterfield, Scunthorpe, Wath-upon-Dearne, York and York Tadcaster Road.

Tesco Charity of the Year

-- Since 1988, Tesco has chosen a different charity every year to be the focus for staff fundraising. The Tesco Charity Trust then adds 20% to all staff fundraising.
-- The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign is Tesco Charity of the Year 2009.
-- Tesco and the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign hope to raise £3 million to fund vital specialist equipment for children with muscular dystrophy and related muscle wasting diseases across the UK.
-- The Tesco and Muscular Dystrophy Charity of the Year partnership theme is Giving children equipment to be independent.
-- The money raised by each Tesco store, distribution centre and office will be spent on children with muscular dystrophy who live locally.
-- The partnership will be supported throughout the year by a range of product promotions in Tesco stores which will be donating a proportion of their sales to the charity. Products include a special range of Tesco greetings cards and Adnams Lighthouse beer, while a donation will also be made by Tesco Personal Finance every time a cash machine at Tesco is used.

Source
Muscular Dystrophy Campaign