Two brothers, John and Mark Everett, from Leigh-on-Sea and Wickford have completed an epic race across Europe in an old banger car decorated as Sesame Street’s Big Bird, raising over £2000 for Gold Geese, a local charity supporting children and young people fighting cancer in the Southend and Basildon areas.
They set off for the five-day challenge on Thursday 24th April, competing with forty other teams to cover 2000 miles from London to Lisbon and completing daily activities and challenges.
They drove to the south of France, crossed into Spain through the Pyrenees mountains, and onwards into Portugal, finishing in Lisbon on 28th April. They faced additional unexpected challenges with the power cuts that hit Spain and Portugal, as well as mechanical issues with the car.
John Everett explains:
“We had a rollercoaster of emotions and obstacles to test us on our challenging adventure. It very nearly ended on day one with mechanical issues and again on day three. We were also challenged with the weather conditions and power outages shutting all petrol stations and card payments in Portugal, forcing us to all but push the car across the finish line in Lisbon!
“We then had the worry of getting enough fuel to get us back across Portugal and to northern Spain to catch our returning ferry back to the UK. However we did experience awesome driving roads across the Pyrenees, Spain and Portugal, with the best camaraderie between friends we have made for life doing these challenges.
“We were crowned on the final presentation evening with the prestigious award of best banger car as voted by the 38 teams who competed. This made us even more determined to get home and complete this challenge, with donations still coming in.
“When we doubled our initial fundraising target for Gold Geese it really made it all worth it. We really can’t thank everyone enough for all your help and support in achieving this milestone.
Mark Everett adds:
“One of my favourite moments was entertaining a coach load of French tourists with us creating a service station disco with them dancing around the car park to the Birdie Song on our car PA system. Our most challenging times was fixing the mechanical issues we had on day one and day three with wheel bearing issues and limping to Lisbon with hardly any fuel due to power outages across Portugal. But being crowned best banger car and raising over £2000 for Gold Geese has made it all worthwhile.”
Katie Southgate, CEO and founder of Gold Geese, says:
“We loved this idea when the guys told us what they’d planned. I feel quite envious of the epic journey John and Mark have had. We’re so grateful to them for their incredible fundraising efforts, and it would have been great to witness how many people Big Bird made smile as it made its way across Europe.
“The Gold Geese motto is ‘We Fly Together’, because we’re there every step of the way for families affected by childhood cancer. Geese fly as a team and no one is left behind – and it sounds like the banger convoy channelled this energy to help each other over the line in tough conditions. Well done guys!”
Gold Geese support is tailored to each family’s needs and ranges from funding for mental health therapy and food shop vouchers to toys, weekend trips away and practical help with travel to and from hospital.
You can contribute to donations at www.justgiving.com/page/bigbird.
- A donation of £3 could buy a Gold parent a coffee and peer to peer support chat
- £12 could provide a nice ready meal dinner for a family’s hospital stay
- £20 could offer a child with cancer toys or comfy new pyjamas
- £50 funds a family counselling session
- £280 funds a memorial bench for a child who has passed away
- £400 funds a big end of treatment celebration for friends and family
or more information about the charity or to learn the signs and symptoms of childhood cancer visit www.goldgeese.org.