Isle of Man Steam Packet Company passengers have raised £14,000 for medical and rescue equipment used around the TT course.
The donation to the Rob Vine Fund was raised through collection buckets on board the Company’s vessels during the TT period. Since the initiative started in 1997 around £140,000 has been raised.
Captain Allan Albiston, who co-ordinates the collections, said: “The Rob Vine Fund is a very well known charity amongst our visiting bikers and collection boxes and buckets can be found in pubs and shops around the Island. However, the generosity shown by our travelling public, both bikers, non-bikers, visitors and locals alike, make our collection the single biggest contributor to this very worthwhile local charity, which has no discrimination when helping injured riders or spectators.
“I became involved in the fund some 15 years ago to assist the founder of the onboard collections, Captain Tom Harrison who sadly passed away in June this year. Tommy originally started selling raffle tickets on every TT sailing of the ‘Lady of Mann’ which was very labour intensive. I came up with the idea of collecting buckets and these collections started in 1997 when I was appointed as Captain on Seacat Isle of Man, now Snaefell.”
The money raised will be used to update some of the medical and rescue equipment used around the TT course, including the two helicopters and two frontline Phil Hogg ambulances.
Chief Executive Mark Woodward said: “We are delighted to be able to show our support for such a worthwhile charity. The work they do is vital and without their good work these events would not be able to take place.”
