Blazing the trail for fundraising

Blazing Saddles Team

OLDHAM firefighters swapped hoses for heights and handlebars as they took on a mighty charity challenge.

A group of 11 — the majority on red watch at Lees Road station — tackled the three highest peaks in Britain — Snowdon, Wales; Ben Nevis, Scotland; and Scafell Pike, in England.

As if that wasn’t hard enough, they also cycled 485 miles between them.

The Blazing Saddles group formed last summer to cycle round all 41 fire stations in Greater Manchester in one day, raising £13,000 for charity.

This year’s epic mission — Blazing Saddles 2 — has so far raised £10,000 for the Christie Hospital and Annabelle’s Challenge, which supports people with the life threatening and incurable condition EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome), as well as SANDS Stillbirth and Neonatal Research and The Firefighters Charity.

Lee Cropper, who has worked at the Lees Road fire station for 21 years, was the man behind the challenge.

The team was sponsored by Fishers Cleaning Service Rochdale, J&K Confectionery and RRG Toyota Rochdale.

Readers can still make a donation to the fund at ww.uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/blazingsaddleschallenge
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