A BIKER is suffering the ‘torture’ of growing his first beard aged 70 while riding down Route 66 – to raise money for the life-saving charity for which he volunteers.
Don O’Brien jets off today (Wednesday September 4) to mark his 70th birthday by fulfilling a lifetime ambition – riding a Harley-Davidson over 2,500 miles down the famous American highway from Chicago to Los Angeles.
But after a stubble-free life, he has been challenged by fellow biker volunteers at Warwickshire and Solihull Blood Bikes (WSBB) to grow a beard during his near three-week trip.
Unusually for a biker, Rugbeian Don – who turns 70 halfway through the journey on Thursday September 12 – has never gone a day without shaving.
And the former electrician admits it is torture to go as little as an hour without shaving after he has arisen.
He said: “Shaving is the first thing I do when I get up in the morning. I run my hand over my face and I can’t stand it.
“I’m not looking forward to it because I’ll have a helmet on with a chin-strap, and with the heat it’s going to be uncomfortable. I’m going to feel quite dirty!”
He said his wife, two sons and five grand-children are all laughing about it. “They’ve never seen me with a beard,” he said. “I’m looking forward to revealing it!”
The trip itself is something lifelong biker Don, joined by friend Larry Brown and his son Andy, has always wanted to do.
“As a biker, I’ve got to do Route 66 before I fall off my perch. It’s on the bucket list,” he said.
And he has rented his dream bike for the challenge. “Down Route 66, there’s only one bike you can ride on – it’s got to be a Harley-Davidson.”
As a volunteer rider, fundraiser and treasurer, Don has already raised thousands for WSBB – which transports urgently-needed blood, drugs, human tissue and other medical requirements between hospitals – since it started as Warwickshire Freewheelers in 2012.
“You get a tremendous sense of having done something worthwhile when you walk out of the hospital having made a delivery,” he said. “There’s definitely a spirit of adventure about it. And it tests your mettle as well.”
The charity gets no government funding so relies entirely on donations – which is why Don is sacrificing his clean-shaven look.
“It costs us around £42,000 a year to operate the charity,” he said. “Everything is done by funds from members of the public.
“I support the blood bikes to put something back into the community and the NHS, which has been very good to my family over the years.”
Visit www.wsbb.org for more about the charity. Visit www.tinyurl.com/y6mmuyc8 to sponsor Don.
