FOUR IRISH FRIENDS are to journey from Mayo to Mongolia in order to raise thousands for the homeless.
The foursome will drive from Ireland to Russia and then on to Mongolia as part of the famous intercontinental Mongol Rally, and want to raise money for the Dublin Simon Community along the way.
It’s brilliantly simple. We give you a start point and a finish point but where you go or what you do in between is entirely your steaming bag of adventuring magic. We recommend that you don’t spend too long planning your route or pouring over useful maps or guidebooks. Find out what’s there when you arrive. Unleash the unexpected. – Mongol Rally organisers
To date they have fundraised over €3,250 for their chosen charity, the Simon Community. They have pledged to donate 100% of this money to the charity – their car for the trip is sponsored by JJ Burke’s garage in Co Mayo.
“We’re four friends – three from Mayo and one from Greystones,” explained Ben Ruddy. “We wanted to do something for charity and we were thinking these days you have to do something big to get people’s attention.”
Wicklow man Luke Cafferky and Mayo men Ruddy, Dave Kelly, and Joe McGing, make up the group. Kelly and Ruddy grew up together, and met Cafferky while travelling in South America. With Ruddy having worked in South Korea for the last seven years, the men are travelling some distances to reunite for the challenge.
As “mad travellers”, they thought the long trip would be perfect for them.
The Mongol Rally began in 2004, with just six teams taking part in the first event. Though the event used to end in Mongolia, now it technically ends in Russia, after the drivers pass through Mongolia.
Ruddy volunteered with the Simon Community while in college, so he said he always wanted to go back and do something else to help them. “I knew there was such a spiralling problem with homelessness in the Leinster region,” he explained. “So we decided to go with Dublin Simon Community. ”
On 7 July, they will leave Westport, take the ferry from Rosslare and begin their trip to Mongolia. To make things even more interesting, they will be travelling in a 1.2 litre Clio.
“We’ll be passing through Iran, Kazakhstan and Mongolia so we are hoping to take a less well-travelled path to get out there,” said Ruddy. They are also planning to raise money right up until they arrive in Mongolia, in September.
It will take about three months to complete the journey. Around 350 cars are taking part this year, so the group won’t be alone in their challenge.
“So we will definitely be in touch with other teams and it’s definitely a case of helping each other cross the finish line,” said Ruddy. The event isn’t a race, he said. “It doesn’t matter how long it takes you. There is a closing date to get there – September 10, but most people don’t mind. It’s the camaraderie and the journey rather than a race.”
Plus, with a limit of a 1.2l car engine, they can’t exactly travel fast anyway.
The four men know that taking part in such a challenge will be, well, challenging. “We will definitely have problems along the way,” said Ruddy. “We barely know how to change a tyre! It’s going to be interesting – there’s definitely not a mechanical bone between us. If we break down we’ll have to get on the good side of the locals.”
“We think it will be good challenge – we definitely are determined to get out there,” he added.
“We are hoping we will get to €5000 or more,” said Ruddy of their fundraising goal. “We really need to get sponsors behind us.”
They have even set up a site where people can follow their progress and donate if they wish.
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