Fundraiser to cycle 425-mile trip to Paris dressed as orangutan
A keen long-distance cyclist will spend seven days cycling from Sheffield to the Eiffel Tower wearing an orangutan suit in a bid to raise £1,500 for orangutan conservation.
Peter McEvoy will set off on Monday, September 7, wearing the bright orange suit until he reaches the city of light on Sunday, September 13.
He said: “I feel that everyone in society hates the thought of losing these amazing animals, but we’re all busy and probably just don’t think about it.
“So, I want to catch the eye and get everyone to think about the fate of the orangutans — which is how this crazy idea came about.”
The plan to wear the suit came about after he read about other supporters raising money for the Sumatran Orangutan Society (SOS) in its annual supporter magazine, The Long Call.
The Sumatran Orangutan Society is a UK charity working with local partners and communities to protect orangutans, restore degraded rainforest and create a future where orangutans, forests and people can thrive together.
Peter has sent monthly donations to the charity for 10 years and hopes that arriving in towns and cities dressed as a cycling orangutan will give him opportunities to talk to people about the animals and rainforest habitat he is raising money to protect.
“I’m no runner, but I do enjoy a long bike ride,” said Peter. “I thought I could do a sponsored ride, but even if all my friends and family chipped in, I’d not really raise a big sum.”
He will cycle from Sheffield to Derby on the first day, covering 38 miles, before continuing through Northampton, London and Canterbury.
The journey will then take him across the Channel and through France before reaching Paris.
Peter has set a fundraising target of £1,500 for the Sumatran Orangutan Society: https://www.justgiving.com/page/peter-mcevoy-1