Hundreds of bikers hit the road to raise money in memory of much-missed teenager
Hundreds of bikers rode across the West Midlands to raise money in memory of a much-loved and much-missed fundraiser, friend and son.
The Stephen Sutton Ride Out (SSRO) took place on Saturday, marking the 11th year of the event which pays tribute to the charity fundraiser, who died in May 2014 aged 19 from colorectal cancer.
The annual event, which has raised more than £65,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust since its inception before Stephen's death, brought a record number of entrants this year, with 575 bikes registering to take part in the 27-mile ride.
The procession started at Lichfield Rugby Club and took a route through Alrewas and Kings Bromley before finishing at Burntwood Rugby Club.
It saw hundreds of people taking part in the event, either through riding the course, volunteering to run stalls and events at the start and finish points or simply lining the route to cheer on the riders, led by Stephen's mother Jane.
She posted an emotional message on Facebook to thank everyone for their support and her own feelings on the day, admitting to shedding a few tears on the way to Burntwood.
She wrote: "Today marks the ninth anniversary of Stephen’s passing, and what a way to spend it.
"The turnout for this year’s SSRO was the largest in its 11-year history, with more than 570 bikes turning up for registration today.
"I was kept busy all morning, and when I eventually looked out at all the bikes on the car park at Lichfield Rugby Club, I was totally overwhelmed.
"It was a real spectacle to see all the yellow bows and ribbons on the bikes and scooters and I immediately knew it was going to be a very special and emotional day.
"I shed a few happy tears as we travelled the 27-mile route from Lichfield Rugby Club to Burntwood Rugby Club."
She said: "Certain days such as anniversaries and birthdays are always more difficult than others, but today with the support from everyone we celebrated Stephen’s life.
"It’s just wonderful to know that Stephen still lives on in the hearts and minds of so many and I was able to speak to so many people about him and that’s a huge comfort to me.
"Thank you to everyone who made the decision to turn out for today’s event. This means absolutely everyone, the organising team, participants, volunteers, stall holders, musicians, and supporters along the route (I’m bound to have missed someone).
"The kindness shown by everyone was immense and it all made for a memorable day.
"Today was also about continuing Stephen’s fundraising legacy and raising money for Teenage Cancer Trust.
"Together we’ve all made a positive difference to the lives of young people diagnosed with cancer and we’ll confirm the total raised soon.
"I know Stephen would be overwhelmed by today’s event in the same way I was."
Jane's partner Tracey Spare said the event showed how much Stephen was still loved nearly a decade after his death.
He said: "He touched a lot of hearts, not just locally, but across the UK and globally.
"We had a lot of comments sent to us on Facebook and I think people have a lot of real affection for Stephen and for Jane as she has continued to keep his memory alive."
