A GROUP of bike riding buddies are preparing to cycle from coast to coast in memory of their friend who died of cancer.
Intu Metrocentre maintenance manager Steve Bolton lost his fight with the disease last summer and now 12 of his friends are taking on the 276 miles, Coast to Coast challenge, to raise funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care.
The group will cycle from his former home, at Allerdene, Gateshead, to Maryport, Cumbria, on Saturday 30 April, returning to the North East the following day where their journey will end at the Millennium Bridge.
And they are hoping as many cyclists as possible will meet them at Gateshead’s intu Metrocentre on Sunday 1 May and finish the journey with them.
Among them will be Steve’s 19-year-old daughter Anna Grace who will travel from Aberdeen University to complete the final few miles on a bicycle her father built himself.
“Steve loved cycling and we all used to do a big bike ride every year,” said his friend and organiser of the event, Will Gordon. “He was a great cyclist – we used to call him ‘the machine’ – and now we are going to recreate one his favourite routes in his memory.
“After he was diagnosed with throat cancer, which eventually spread, Marie Curie were wonderful to both Steve and his family and this is our way of thanking them for all they did for him.”
Following Steve’s death, bosses at intu Metrocentre named one of their meeting rooms after him and marketing manager Helen Atkinson said: “He was just the nicest man and very much missed by all of us.
“We are delighted that Will and the team will be stopping off here on their return journey and hope as many cyclists as possible will come along to the centre to join them as they cycle the final few miles to the Millennium Bridge.”
Donations to the Steve Bolton Memorial Bike Ride 2016 can be made online via Just Giving.