Blueprint Operations donates £5,000 to four-year rowing challenge for motor neurone disease
The team will complete four full ocean rows in four years to raise funds for an MND cure.
Key points:
– Blueprint Operations donated £5,000 through the Merkur Community Programme
– It will go towards the £57m fundraiser for a cure
Blueprint Operations, the sister brand to Merkur, has donated £5,000 ($6,750) to ROW4MND, a four-year rowing mission to raise funds and awareness for motor neurone disease (MND).
ROW4MD will see Mike Bates, Matthew Parker, Aaron Kneebone and Liz Wardley commit to four full-scale ocean rows for four consecutive years.
They were inspired after Rob Burrow and Doddie Weir, both rugby legends, were diagnosed with MND.
The £57m fundraising target is a combination of their shirt numbers, Burrow’s number five and Weir’s number seven, and will go towards trying to find a cure.
Bates, Founder of ROW4MND, said: “There are many rowing campaigns that start as adventures and support a charity along the way. This is different. The cause came first.
“The ocean rows are our sacrifice, our way of keeping the conversation alive and of raising the funds needed to help scientists find a cure.
“We row in hope that one day, no one else has to go through what families living with MND face today.”
The Merkur Community Programme was launched in January 2024 to support non-profit organisations and good causes, and has raised £278,170.10 for 114 groups so far.
Bates continued: “A project of this scale requires serious backing, and we’re incredibly grateful to Blueprint for their support. Their contribution allows us to direct more of our resources where it matters most – towards finding a cure for MND.
Good to know: The ROW4MND team is supporting three leading charities: the MND Association, the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation and Leeds Hospitals Charity
“Four ocean rows in four years has never been attempted before. It’s a monumental task, but we’ll keep going, wave after wave, to keep banging the drum for a cure.”
Andy Tipple, Blueprint Operations Managing Director, said: “We are incredibly proud to support the ROW4MND team as they embark on this extraordinary challenge.
“Their dedication is nothing short of extraordinary and exactly the kind of community-driven inspiration we champion through our Merkur Community programme. We wish the team every success and will be cheering them on every step of the way.”
Earlier this year, Merkur was granted a licence by the Nevada Gaming Commission, paving the way for a return following two decades out of the market.
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