People of the Year award for Mayo businessman and Giro d'Mayo 500 team

Mayo businessman Richie Needham and the Giro d'Mayo 500 team have won a Mayo People of the Year Award.

Richie Needham and his team of experienced cyclists from the Castlebar, Westport and Islandeady cycling clubs took part in the inaugural Giro d’Mayo 500 in September to raise funds for the paediatric unit at Mayo University Hospital.

The epic challenge around Mayo saw the team members covering 500 kilometres each over three days. . .a total of 7,000 kms.

The event was organised and sponsored by Unit 7, Hopkins Road, Castlebar, a men's fashion outlet owned by Richie Needham.

The other participants included club members and sponsors Dave O’Malley, Tom Malone, Francis Brogan, Sean Heraty, Adrian Gallagher, Brian Kennedy, Grainne Kennedy, Caroline Keogh, Walter Lyons, John Brennan, David Brennan and Dave Walsh, as well as riders from the Covey Wheelers Cycling Club and Islandeady Cycling Club.

Before they had embarked on the mammoth cycle in September, the team had already collected over €20,000.

The fund currently stands at over €32,017 and is still growing.

In 2019, Richie Needham and his wife, Elaine, were due to celebrate their first wedding anniversary when their then five-month-old son, Cole, had a seizure.

They did not know at the time, but Cole would later be diagnosed as having a very rare and severe form of epilepsy called PCDH19.

The couple were overwhelmed by the medical support they received at Mayo University Hospital that the fundraising cycle was initiated.

The 31st Mayo People of the Year Awards will be presented at the gala banquet in Breaffy House Hotel, Castlebar, on Friday night, November 21.

The event is organised by RehabCare, Mayo County Council and The Connaught Telegraph.

There are 22 recipients in total.