This article is from page 26 of the 2008-04-29 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 26 JPG
FIVE Clare men and four motorbikes will embark on an arduous journey from Clare to Belarus in June, to highlight the ongoing problems faced by people living in the region.
Michael Barrett, Neilus Shannon, James O’Donoghue and Gearoid Conroy, all from the Ennis area, will travel on four motorbikes from Clare to the exclusion zone, which still re- mains around the Chernobyl nuclear enim
As well as raising awareness, the lads hope to raise €10,000 for the Burren Chernobyl project.
The Burren Chernobyl Project
(BCP) was established in 1993 to help with the child victims of the fallout from the Chernobyl reactor explosion. Many projects have been carried out to assist the children and their families who are enduring the effects of exposure to radiation and the other social and economic prob- lems facing them in Belarus.
The Chernobyl reactor accident occurred on April 26, 1986, at the nuclear power plant in Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union).
It is regarded as the worst nuclear accident in the history of nuclear power, producing a plume of radio- active debris that drifted over parts of the western Soviet Union, Eastern
Europe, Scandinavia, UK, and east- SUmONyee
30,000 people died in the initial aftermath of the blast and over five million people were exposed to ra- diation.
One of the organizers, Michael Barrett has worked in the region and witnessed first hand the devastating impact of radiation poisoning.
He said, “Saturday was the 22nd anniversary of the explosion at the Chernobyl power plant. It is to the credit of the people of Clare of the assistance provided by groups like the Burren Chernobyl project.
‘“T have worked in the region in the past and it has left an indelible im-
pression on me, the suffering of the people living in the region is getting worse, aS, with time more cancers are presenting and it is important that those of us that can assist are re- minded of the need to do so”.
In order to raise money, a poker classic to be held in the Copper Jug, Lifford Road, Ennis on Friday May 2 at 9.30pm.
All sponsorship will be gratefully accepted and cards are now avail- able.
Donations and _ other sponsor- ships and offers of assistance can be made directly to the Burren Cherno- byl Project at 7071130 or to Michael Barrett on 086 8198992.