Moira men hoping to raise £10,000 in memory of Aaron

Adam Montgomery (31) will jet off to Peru in October to take on a six-day trek to Machu Picchu in a bid to raise £10,000 for a very good cause in memory of his brother Aaron, who died after being attacked outside a Belfast nightclub in February 2008. He was just 23 years old.

Adam will be joined on the trek by his good friend, Greg McCormick.

The pair are fundraising for Helping Hand - the charity that provides equipment and research funding to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.

Over the past decade Adam and his family have raised thousands of pounds for the charity, which they chose to support after Aaron’s passing.

Adam, who is still trying to come to terms with his brother’s tragic death, explained: “When Aaron was killed it affected a lot of friends and family. We have been left with a large hole in our lives that can never be filled.

“By doing things for charity, it gives us a sense of purpose and a way to remember Aaron.

“To mark 10 years since Aaron was taken from us, I am aiming to raise £10,000 for Helping Hand.”

The Machu Picchu trek will see Adam and Greg walking for up to nine hours a day for six days.

They are aiming to reach the ancient Inca citadel in time for what would have been Aaron’s 34th birthday, October 12.

“I am a keen traveller and when Aaron died, I promised myself that I would see as much of this world as I can, because Aaron never got the chance to see very much of it. As I have always wanted to see Machu Picchu, I thought that a charity trek would be a chance to do so, for a worthwhile cause,” Adam continued.

“I am very glad that my good friend Greg will accompany me on the trek.”

In order to help raise funds for the charity, Greg (29), who is also from Moira, has organised the ‘Aaron Montgomery Memorial Golf Day’ at Edenmore Golf Club on Friday, April 27.

There will be almost 200 golfers participating in the event.

“We still have a few spaces left for anyone wanting to participate, as well as sponsorship opportunities for the event,” Adam explained.

“We will also be having an evening reception for any golfers wishing to stay on and for family and friends to attend, where we will have some amazing prizes as part of a raffle and some sporting memorabilia up for auction.”

Anyone who would like to support Adam and Greg in their fundraising effort can do so by making a donation online at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/in-memory-of-aaron?utm_id=92 (click here)

For more information about the golf day log on to www.facebook.com/events/108527173294586 or click here.