A team from Boyzone, one of the most successful boy bands in Ireland and the UK, has been declared winner of the Republic‘s first ‘Bobcat Challenge’ for charity.
In the Bobcat Challenge, held in aid of the Finn’s First Steps and Irish Autism Action charities, the Boyzone team of Shane Lynch and Keith Duffy, with over 25 million records sold worldwide, took on a team from Today FM, Ireland‘s biggest radio station, comprising DJs Anton Savage and Neil Delamare, for the honour of winning funds for the charity of their choice.
The Bobcat Challenge was organised jointly by Today FM and Limerick-based Adare Machinery, an Authorised Dealer for the Bobcat and Doosan Heavy ranges in Ireland. The idea for the event followed a visit made by Anton Savage to the very impressive Adare Machinery stand at Ireland’s 2015 National Ploughing Championships held in September and Today FM wants to make this an annual event. Though the Boyzone team eventually won the day, donations from Adare Machinery and Bobcat ensured there were no losers with both charities receiving 1000 euros for their worthy causes.
William Cuddy of Adare Machinery said: “I think that Anton was inspired by the Bobcat and Doosan machines we had working on our biggest ever stand at the National Ploughing Championships and we are delighted to have been able to help in putting on the first ever Bobcat Challenge.
“The event was a huge success, with Anton making numerous references to it during his own show on Today FM (daily listenership 212,000 people) over the course of the week. Not only that, he dedicated a full 15 minutes summarising and praising the event to his listeners the day after the Bobcat Challenge itself. The video of the event on YouTube is called Today FM Vs Boyzone in the BOBCAT CHALLENGE and it has already had well over 2000 views on Youtube alone.”
The Bobcat Challenge involved each of the teams taking part in three challenges using two Bobcat S530 skid-steer loaders and two Bobcat E26 mini-excavators (mini-diggers):
Challenge 1A: Bobcat Mini-Digger Challenge – Lower pin into 3 x cylinders
Challenge 1B: Bobcat Mini-Digger Challenge – Using the bucket and clamp, pick up 3 x footballs and drop them into a container
Challenge 2: Bobcat Skid steer Loader Challenge – Move the skid steer loader through a series of obstacles and then around a course
Challenge 3: Team Challenge – Using the skid-steer loader collect 3 tyres and drive through a series of cones and drop tyres for teammate.
Team using E26 with clamp stacks tyres on a pole using bucket and clamp
William Cuddy added: “I’d like to say a special thanks to everyone who made this event possible, especially Alastair Jones and Tomas Mrkvicka from Bobcat who were able to attend on the day and provided expert advice and help and Paul Arthur who organised the charity donation from Bobcat.”
The Finn’s First Steps charity is dedicated to 4 year old Finn, who was born with cerebral palsy (CP), which affects his legs and makes it impossible for him to walk independently. There is no cure for CP but there are medical interventions to help treat it. Finn has been accepted for a surgery called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDL) at St Louis Children’s Hospital in Missouri in the USA. SDR will permanently reduce the spasticity in his legs caused by CP and give Finn a better quality of life. The goal of the charity is to make Finn as independent as possible and it believes that this operation will do this. All money raised will go towards Finn’s operation in St. Louis and the intensive physiotherapy he will need after the operation for approximately 3 years. Funds can be donated at www.idonate.ie/finnsfirststeps
Irish Autism Action is a young dynamic, innovative and passionate organisation formed in 2001 which is bringing positive change into the lives of those affected by autism. The range of services which Irish Autism Action provides includes awareness raising, early detection diagnosis, education support, advocacy, counselling, helpline, home based support, transition planning, social housing, research information and advice for families upon receiving diagnosis. Irish Autism Action is an umbrella organisation with 33 member groups and 3500 individual members. Donations can be made at www.autismireland.ie
Adare Machinery is an award-winning machinery dealership established by David and Marian Cuddy in 1984, which has developed into a fully-fledged family enterprise, with son, William, and daughter, Caroline, involved in the running of the business. Together with an excellent team of staff, the Cuddys continue to innovate, expand and grow the business.
For the Bobcat range, Adare Machinery is the Authorised Dealer for the whole of Ireland. As an Authorised Dealer for Doosan Construction Equipment, Adare Machinery has exclusivity for sales and service in Munster and Connacht for Doosan crawler and wheeled excavators from 3 to 53 tonne and the Doosan range of wheel loader models with bucket capacities from 1.9 to 4.8 m3.
Operating out of state-of-the-art premises at Patrickswell near the city of Limerick, Adare Machinery is also offering service and warranty work on all existing Doosan and Bobcat machines in its area, backed by a full selection of genuine accessories and parts.
