A SEVEN-year-old with thousands of pounds worth of charity work already under his belt has received a nomination for young person of the year in Isle of Man Newspapers’ Flybe-sponsored Pride in Mann Awards.
Kirk Michael’s Cameron Hawes made headlines this year and last by cycling a combined total of 250 miles for charities he chose himself.
Uncle Keith Hawes felt that was enough to fill out a Pride in Mann nomination form.
Proud mum Rosie said: ‘He just loves cycling, and he is the sort of child who loves to help people.’
She added: ‘It started when I did the Parish Walk two years ago. He asked me what he could do for charity. He asked how far the Parish Walk walk was, I told him, and he decided he wanted to cycle it.’
Fearing it would be a heavy task for a six-year-old, Rosie reached a compromise with her son that he would complete the distance in stages on flat roads and at the National Sports Centre. And so he did, cycling 100 miles and raising more than £1,000 for charities he chose.
‘Then this year he said, “Can I do my charity cycle again mum?”’ said Rosie, ‘Only he wanted to do 150 miles. My jaw dropped!’
He completed this year’s challenge during the Easter holidays.
{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/community/pride-in-mann|Click here to see the other nominees}
In order to clock up the miles, Cameron used both his road bike and his mountain bike in a series of rides in various locations around the island, including laps of Archallagan plantation, the NSC – where World Track Cycling champion Ben Swift surprised him to present a cheque for £250 on behalf of Cameron’s sponsors Black Grace Cowley – and finished with Royal London 360 road-cycling races.
He has raised £1,500 this year, split between St John Ambulance, Kirk Michael School for their twinned Ghamrang School in Nepal, and the Vagabonds youth rugby team.
Rosie said: ‘He just takes it in his stride. His latest thing is to do 200 miles in 2013!’
She added that cycling and rugby are the two biggest things to sport-mad Cameron, who plays for Vagabonds Rugby Club and does road cycling, mountain biking and BMX riding. He’s even considering turning his hand to cricket for the summer, for Vagabonds’ cricket side.
‘We’re really proud of him. He very much cycles for fun, and it wasn’t an easy thing for him to do, giving up his school holidays. We’re really happy for him to have been nominated.’
Nominations for this year’s Pride in Mann awards have now closed.
{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/community/pride-in-mann|Click here to see the other nominees}