Each year in mid-June we have the Fred Whitton Challenge Presentation Night, at which we celebrate the event, give prizes and present the money raised by the event to the charities. This year the event raised a record total of £45,000! Many thanks to everyone who contributed to raising this superb total - to all the riders, to everyone who raised sponsorship for the event, to our event sponsors Biketreks of Ambleside, and to all our helpers.
This year's presentation night was on Wednesday 18th June, though sadly the weather was so bad that only a few brave riders did the usual ride beforehand. Cheques were presented to the charities at the Duddon and Furness Mountain Rescue HQ at Foxfield. In the photo Lynne Whitton (centre) and event organiser Paul Loftus present £15,000 to Pam Dilks (right) for Macmillan Cancer Support, and youngest helper Tyla Loftus (9, aka the "Buttermere Dibber") presents £15,000 to former Olympian Bill Holmes for the Dave Rayner Fund, which supports young British Road cyclists in Europe. Paddy Gannon (left) received £7,500 for the Duddon and Furness Mountain Rescue Team, and Gordon Turner (3rd left) received £7,500 on behalf of The North West Air Ambulance.

Bill is a past Tour of Britain winner who rode for Great Britain in the 1960 and 1956 Olympics, where he won a silver medal in the team road race. After the cheque presentation they joined friends and cyclists for a very enjoyable social evening at the Prince of Wales pub in Foxfield, to celebrate the event's record charity fundraising, and enjoy an excellent buffet provided by Stuart, Linda & Sue.