A charity cycle ride kicks off tomorrow to mark the second anniversary of a Dumfries man’s death while playing rugby in Ireland.
En route to the Emerald Isle from Murrayfield for a memorial match, the pedalling fundraisers will raise awareness of sudden cardiac death by visiting 11 secondary schools across Dumfries and Galloway from Monday to Wednesday.
To date, the David Hill Memorial Fund has raised over £40,000 which has allowed his family to organise 400 free cardiac screenings which will take place in Dumfries in May 2024 and April 2025 – and it is hoped Cycle4David will raise the cash for even more to come in his name.
Former St Joseph’s College pupil David played for Dumfries Saints Rugby Club before a career in politics working for several MSPs at Holyrood. He was also one of the founding members of the parliamentary rugby team.
The 30-year-old collapsed on March 19, 2022 while taking part in a cross party rugby match for Holyrood against Dail and Seanad XV at the Donnybrook Stadium in Dublin, and subsequently died from a previously undiagnosed heart condition.
Almost two years on, members of parliament from both nations will compete in a match at the same Dublin stadium next Saturday, March 16, for the David Hill Memorial Quaich – donated by his family.
And the match ball will be brought to the stadium by members of David’s family and friends as the finale of the Cycle4David ride from Edinburgh to Dublin.
It starts tomorrow when David’s dad, Rodger – who lives in Dumfries – will be presented with the ball from Scottish Rugby at British Gas Murrayfield.
The Cycle4David team will then make their way through Edinburgh, calling at the Scottish Parliament where they will be joined by Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone MSP, who will accompany them out of Edinburgh.
After cycling down through the Borders, they’ll arrive in Dumfries and Galloway before going on to Dublin.
Rodger has already visited the majority of secondary schools in the region to speak to senior pupils as part of The David Hill Memorial Fund which the family set up to support CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young).
The charity is calling for the introduction of a national screening programme which could help save the lives of people aged between 14 and 35 with undiagnosed heart conditions.
Every week in the UK, around 12 young people die suddenly from a previously undiagnosed heart condition with 80 per cent of these having no prior symptoms.
Each cardiac screening costs £65 and The David Hill Memorial Fund is looking to raise £6500 to support further cardiac screening in Dumfries and Galloway, through a Just Giving page at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/Cycle4David2024
