Robin Chard: Donations for cancer survivor who died during RideLondon cycle event surge past £40,000

Good cause: Robin Chard, pictured with his daughter Erin Parker, was raising money for Cancer Research UK after family members died from the disease
PA
Jamie Bullen1 August 2016

Donations to a JustGiving page set up by cancer survivor Robin Chard have surged past £40,000 after his death during the RideLondon cycling event.

The 48-year-old from Bicester died during the Surrey 100 event on Sunday which he was competing in to raise funds for Cancer Research UK.

On Monday, supporters flooded Mr Chard’s page to support his fundraising efforts with almost 2,000 people handing over money.

Mr Chard said he picked the leading cancer charity after both his father and step-father died from the disease.

His sister Andrea Day, 43, urged well-wishers to continue their support after donations topped £20,000 earlier on Monday.

Cash surge: Donations exceeded £40,000 following Mr Chard's death in the RideLondon event
JustGiving

They have since more than doubled.

She said in a statement: "We are very touched by the kind messages and donations from everyone on Robin's JustGiving page.

"As you can imagine, we are all very shocked and saddened by the news of his passing. He was a beloved son, husband, father, brother and friend to so many and will be sorely missed.

"We kindly ask that you respect our privacy at this difficult time and keep donating."

Flood of support: Almost 2,000 people have donated to Robin Chard's fundraising page
PA

Mr Chard suffered a cardiac arrest at Kingston Bridge at around the 25-mile mark.

Fellow riders and medical experts administered immediate treatment at the scene but he later died at Kingston Hospital.

Ed Aspel, executive director of fundraising and marketing at Cancer Research UK, said: "We send our sincerest condolences to the family of Robin Chard.

"We are very grateful that he chose to cycle in RideLondon to support Cancer Research UK, and would like to express our deepest sympathy to his loved ones at this difficult time."

Mr Chard lost his father, Edwin, and stepfather, Bert, to lung cancer. His mother-in-law, Sheila, also died from non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

The 48-year-old had himself overcome the cancer Hodgkin Lymphoma in childhood.

His wife Vickie said: "Robin was doing something he loved to raise money for Cancer Research UK, a cause that was very important to him after losing his father, his mother's partner and my mother to cancer.

"I'd like to thank everyone who has helped and supported Robin and me, especially the event stewards, the event team and the amazing staff at Kingston Hospital."

Mr Chard became the third person in three years to die of heart failure in the long-distance cycle event.

Cancer survivor Robin Chard became the third person in three years to die of heart failure in the long-distance cycle event RideLondon-Surrey 100.

Stephen Green, 55, from Reading, died in the 2015 sportive, and raised more than £27,000 for children's charity Action for A-T.

While Kris Cook, 36, from Woking, Surrey, died during the 2014 ride, and more than £50,000 was raised for Woking Hospice.

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