Hi,

This is a little humbling, putting this on the Rhinos site, but hey ho. Copied and pasted from RAB....

Good Morning everyone.

I think I've had an idea that could be huge, but I'll need a lot of help.

Just to introduce myself, my name is Andy and my Brother James and I have been Bulls season ticket holders for years. That doesn't sound special in itself except we travel from Newcastle to every game.

James has Downs Syndrome, and the Bulls are his love. In 2009 we completed 100 rounds of kickboxing on the Odsal field (my claim to fame is a Mr. Wayne Godwin broke my nose during it!!). During a long walk yesterday I had a eureka moment and ran it past James. We are going to walk from Whitley Bay to Odsal. It'll take a week and we need the Bulls on board. No-ones gonna talk us out of it, you can't stop a Bull when it's made up it's mind.

For those who think this next bit is ludicrous, please read the bit afterwards. This could raise the "other half million". All we need is 100,000 people thinking a lad with Downs Syndrome walking easily over 150 miles to try and save his beloved Rugby side is worthy of a fiver. Who wouldnt? Heaven's sake, people in his home town are doing just that, without a clue who the Bradford Bulls even are (Ive told them to hang on to thier fivers till we get this up and running). Our local landlord only knew they were a Rugby league outfit when he put the tele on so we could hear the somewhat "non-announcement".

Ive provisionally got Whitley Bay-Sunderland-'Boro-York-West Yorks (including Leeds and I AM being serious) as the route, ending at Odsal. We'll camp along the way. James is friends with a lot of Bulls players and I imagine they'd happily lend him some training gear for this.

Can we do it? It's why I told you about the 100 rounds. If youre still in doubt keying in James Lights Out Olsen to a well known file sharing site should get you footage of his honourary world title win (wKO3, v a 20 time world champ no less).

Hopefully I can get as many people behind this. The story of James's life is that with the right support, he is capable of achieving the impossible. If anyone sees a way they can help then Lord knows nows the time to come forward.

We walk for the Bulls, we're alright

There's a couple of things I'd like to add though. Rest assured the Rhinos equivilent of James (and such people exsist, James has played at a festival for people with Learning Difficulties at Headingley) doing this should your club ever be in difficulty would get way more than a fiver for this. We'll be going through Leeds City Centre (date not yet confirmed but almost deffo the end of the month). I hope you could show your support, not for the Bulls but for the RL community and one of its members James. Feel free to trade as much banter as you like but I'd like to think there's a donation at the end of it.

Thanks for reading,

Andy

As always these posts get a bit lost as stickies so please make sure this stays on the front page.

Ah cheers. And a massive cheers to the club, who are looking to provide us with Rhinos players as we go round Leeds. As I told them on twitter, we'll look to return the favour once the blisters have healed.

For more info and what a monster this could have created go to rlhttp://forums.rlfans.com/viewtopic.php?f.

You might also note one of our own holding his hand up to have his feet ruined

All the best with this and I hope it all ends in success

Cheers gents. Yeah "One of your own" blew me away with that gesture, as has the support your club has shown already. I now know if it came down to it we'd be doing the same for the Rhinos. Bet you hope we never have to though.

That 'one of our own' would like to say OOOOPS

Will the 'one of our own ' be doing the walk ? YES . He has booked the week off work and is now actively seeking sponsorship . Not just financial sponsorship , but help with equipment would be great too .
While we may pay a lot of our hard-earned into this sport we all love so much , it is not very often we get to do anything that actually makes a difference . It will certainly be an experience that will be remembered long after the blisters have healed .

ahh good old Whitley Bay

I see a fair few comments regarding my favour of the Broon . I Wonder who started them . I guess it was Martin or Ray . We went out one night , and all we drank was Nuclear brown ale . We had the bar man mark us with a pen for each one we drank . When I woke up a week or so later I had 18 lines on my arm .
Good gear is that stuff

I'd like to wish you the very best of luck!!

Is there a sponsor page for this, or a link to donate? As much as I dislike turning the Bulls into a charity, that feeling doesn't stretch as far as not rewarding this kind of effort.

And if you raise the money you're talking about, I hope the current incumbents make you and your brother co-chairmen.

My son wanted to do a bit of the walk as we pass through Leeds . Unfortunately he won't be able to as he was hit by a car today . He was very lucky in that he wasn't severely injured , the worst injury is a broken ankle .

So . Can anyone out there loan me a wheelchair for an hour or so one day next month so I can push him for the bit he was going to be walking ?

Rick

By the way . How was the game tonight ? We missed it as we were down a the LGI with him . He is still there with his mum .

Sent you a PM mate

Me too, shocking news and amazing BaldRick still wants to join us. Rhinos fans rest assured the Bulls mob are fighting amongst each other to push Carl in the wheelchair we're getting him sorted with for as far as the brave little fella wishes to travel.