Raise money on Route 66? Eugene-ious!

A Cork biker is about to get stuck into his fifth crossing of America via Route 66 while raising vital funds for a children’s charity.

For Charleville man Eugene Lynes, what started as a personal passion for the iconic trail has become a long-running commitment to raising funds for sick children and their families through Irish charity, Children’s Health Foundation.

“I think 2016 was my first one,” recalled Eugene, who will set out on 21 September alongside 65 fellow leather-clad fundraisers.

“I knew a garda in the motorcycle division in Templemore who was doing Route 66 and he encouraged me to take on the challenge.

“I wanted to do the route anyway, and obviously Temple Street was a good cause to do it for,” he added.

Each trip has offered up different experiences for Eugene who, unlike many participants, has had no direct personal connection to Temple Street or Children’s Health Foundation before becoming involved.

“No, not at all; I just wanted to give back,” he said. What kept him returning, however, was seeing firsthand how the fundraising makes a difference. Every September, before participants set off on the Route 66 challenge itself, they visit the hospital to see where funds raised through the event have gone. Eugene said: “They take us into the hospital and they tell us where the money went. They show us the equipment that was bought and sometimes we get to speak to patients who benefited from it.”

The experience has left a lasting impression on Eugene, enough to draw him back to Route 66 five times and counting.

“You hear some of the stories from the children in the hospital and then you realise this needs to be done,” he said.

Romantic notions aside, Route 66 is a demanding challenge with participants spending long days travelling across multiple states, often in intense heat, with early starts and hours on the road each day.

Thinking back to his first trip, Eugene vividly recalls the dizzying highs and lass than favourable lows.

“It was extremely long, extremely tiring and very compressed,” he said.

Eugene continued: “We left Dublin, got to Chicago, collected the bikes, sorted insurance and rentals, and then the following morning we were on the road again. With jet lag and everything, it was extremely tough. But totally enjoyable.”

Away from Route 66 itself, Cork hero Eugene has spent years organising local fundraising events back home, including an annual climb of Carrauntoohil which has now been running for a decade.