On Your Bike!

On your bike! Pictured in Shannon at the starting line of the recent Zimmer Biomet charity cycle are members of the Gibbons family from the Dublin Road in Limerick, who use the BUMBLEance service, Deirdre Lennon and her son, Ben Herbert, representing the Saoirse Foundation, and staff volunteers from Zimmer Biomet, who serve on the company’s CSR Committee, responsible for organising the charity cycle.

Pictured left to right: Kevin O’Higgins, Limerick, Zimmer Biomet CSR Committee; Deirdre Lennon, Saoirse Foundation; Seaghan Brosnan, Clare, Zimmer Biomet CSR Committee; Claude Costelloe, General Manager of Zimmer Biomet’s Ireland manufacturing facilities; Yvonne McNamara, Limerick, Zimmer Biomet CSR Committee; Irma Kiely, Clare, a staff volunteer participating in the charity cycle; Cormac McMahon, Clare, Zimmer Biomet CSR Committee; Shane Fahy, Galway, Zimmer Biomet CSR Committee, Nadine Gibbons from the Dublin Road, Limerick, whose granddaughter, Nicola benefits from the BUMBLEance service;  Christine Conneely, Mayo, Zimmer Biomet CSR Committee; Michael Gibbons and Nicola Gibbons, both from Limerick, who find the children’s ambulance service invaluable, and Ben Herbert, son of Deirdre Lennon.

Zimmer Biomet, a global leader in musculoskeletal healthcare, has organised its second charity cycle between its two plants at Shannon and Galway, a distance of 83km. Over 40 employee volunteers took to the road recently to raise funds for Irish charity, The Saoirse Foundation, BUMBLEance Children’s National Ambulance service.

Last year, the Zimmer Biomet team raised over €10,000 for the charity with the funds assigned to support services in Clare, Limerick and Galway, allowing sick children in the region to travel safely and comfortably to and from their homes to hospitals, hospices, treatment centres and respite centres nationwide. According to local families, BUMBLEance makes a huge difference to their children’s quality of life and relieves the pressure on parents and other family members, who are already experiencing stress and worry. Michael Gibbons and Nadine Gibbons from the Dublin Road, Limerick, grandparents to Nicola said, “What can we say about BUMBLEance only that the team is absolutely fantastic! BUMBLEance has taken away all the stress and the strain of travelling up and down to Crumlin for appointments with Nicola. The staff members are wonderful and make you smile even on a bad day.”

Tony Heffernan, Founder and CEO of BUMBLEance Ireland said, “BUMBLEance is thrilled to partner once again with Zimmer Biomet, a company aligned with our charity values and mission to deliver positive impacts for sick children. This continued support will allow us to initiate a new Mid-West based BUMBLEance in the coming months. We would like to express our sincere thanks to the team at Zimmer Biomet and to those who are supporting this event.”

Congratulating the group, Claude Costelloe, General Manager of Zimmer Biomet’s Ireland manufacturing facilities commented, “We are inspired by the dedication of The Saoirse Foundation and BUMBLEance and are delighted to support this worthy charity. Its work aligns with our mission to improve the quality of life for people around the world and give back to communities in need. I would like to pay warm tribute to our employees, who have given freely of their time to train and participate in our plant-to-plant event. They are true ambassadors for our company’s values and I am proud of their civic spirit.”

A leading employer in Shannon and Oranmore, Galway, Zimmer Biomet’s footprint in Ireland features two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities plus a professional education centre that attracts healthcare professionals from around the world.

About Zimmer Biomet

 Founded in 1927 and headquartered in Warsaw, Indiana, Zimmer Biomet is a global leader in musculoskeletal healthcare. We design, manufacture and market orthopaedic reconstructive products; sports medicine, biologics, extremities and trauma products; office-based technologies; spine, craniomaxillofacial and thoracic products; dental implants; and related surgical products. We collaborate with healthcare professionals around the globe to advance the pace of innovation. Our products and solutions help treat patients suffering from disorders of, or injuries to, bones, joints or supporting soft tissues. Together with healthcare professionals, we help millions of people live better lives. We have operations in more than 25 countries around the world and sell products in more than 100 countries. For more information, visit www.zimmerbiomet.com or follow Zimmer Biomet on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zimmerbiomet.

About BUMBLEance

An initiative of The Saoirse Foundation, BUMBLEance is the world’s first interactive ambulance, purposefully designed for children, with the capacity to operate the latest medical equipment and inter hospital communication systems. The Saoirse Foundation is a registered non-profit charity dedicated to making positive life impacts for sick children. The charity was founded by Tony and Mary Heffernan in 2010 after their daughter, Saoirse, was diagnosed with Batten Disease – a rare and fatal neurological condition. For further information, please visit: https://www.bumbleance.com