Yamato’s Dave Jafrate in Liverpool to Leeds Barge-Pull Fundraiser
Dave Jafrate, Projects Engineer Supervisor at Yamato Scale Dataweigh UK, and 9 friends will be pulling a barge by hand from Liverpool to Leeds to raise money for the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.
On 4th May 2014 at 10am, the canal barge will leave Liverpool on its way to Leeds. However, this Canal will not be powered by conventional means; it will be powered by the sheer determination and stamina of a small group of volunteers hoping to raise £20,000 for the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.
The 20 tonne barge will be travelling 127 miles to Leeds using the combined strength and dedication of its group members. The launch event is being attended by the CEO of the charity and the Lord Mayor of Liverpool. Luckily, the group is not unused to physical strain. They participated in the Tough Mudder obstacle race last year, a hard-core mud run event designed by the British Army; the group raised £1,000 pounds at the challenging event.
Four members of the group will pull the barge at a time, in compliance with the regulations required to break the world record.
Dave’s sister, Julie Robertson, was diagnosed with terminal small cell lung cancer in November 2011. Originally given less than 8 weeks to live, she fought a hard battle and defied the odds for 22 months, before passing away in August 2012. During her fight with cancer, Dave trained and participated in two Tough Mudders to raise funds for the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.
“After the challenge of the Tough Mudders, we decided we needed to think of something that would test us to our extremes,” said Dave. With a friend and fellow training partner coming up with the idea to pull a barge from one end of the canal to the other, it was initially considered a “mad idea”, said Dave – but through a lot of determination “it’s now grown into something big with around 12 people, including organisers”.
The fundraiser has received royal support, with a reply from Windsor Castle stating “…Her Majesty hopes that your efforts will be rewarded with great success.”
The journey will be made up of two teams of four rotating between pulling and resting; with two people riding ahead on bikes to prepare locks and swing bridges (there are 92 locks to navigate over the full 127 mile journey). The team not pulling will be ‘resting’ – as well as cooking and eating. With the goal to be moving 12-13 hours a day, in 1.5 hour shifts.
“The training for this started last summer and has been gruelling,” said Dave, “but the end goal of helping the charity has always kept me on track, as has my sister’s memory.”
The barge will depart from Stanley Dock in Liverpool, to Clarence Dock, Leeds – and has six days to complete the challenge – with a welcome event waiting for them at the end of their journey including the Lord Mayor of Leeds.
To support the fundraiser, please visit their Facebook and Virgin Money Giving page.
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About Yamato Scale Dataweigh (UK) Limited
Yamato is one of the leading global manufacturers of commercial weighing equipment and with over 90 years' manufacturing experience, we know what our customers need and expect.
Originally founded in 1922 as The Weighing Machine Division of Kawanishi Kikai K.K and later rebranded as Yamato Scale Ltd, Yamato is proud of its Japanese heritage; our passion to provide quality multihead weighers and deliver superior customer support is what drives us.
As a result Yamato’s multihead weighers and checkweighers have gained an unrivalled reputation worldwide, and our weighing machines are trusted by manufacturers in a range of industries across the globe; from granulated products and confectionery to meat and IQF frozen produce.
Yamato’s multihead weighers and checkweighers are energy efficient, accurate, hygienic, and easy to operate. The Dataweigh Omega multihead weigher, for instance, boasts a 60% reduction in power consumption without compromising on speed or effectiveness.
For further information please contact:
Andrea Spencer,
Commercial and Marketing Manager,
Yamato Scale (UK) Dataweigh.
@YamatoScaleUK
Tel. 0113 322 1546
Email: andrea.spencer@yamatoscale.co.uk
www.yamatoscale.co.uk
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