Howorth Air Tech will be represented on the ride by James Battersby, who has become a big supporter of RL Cares since he joined the Bolton-based company as Technical Author and Administrator in 2024.
James will join 18 other riders in September, including RL Hall of Fame legends Paul Sculthorpe MBE and Adrian Morley, to ride 400 miles over six unforgettable days from the US capital Washington DC to Central Park in the heart of New York city.
The sponsorship cements the strong partnership between RL Cares and Howorth, whose staff regularly take part in dedicated Offload mental fitness and wellbeing workshops delivered by the charity’s welfare team.
“I enjoy riding anyway but this is more about giving a little bit back to Rugby League Cares,” said James. “In the 12 months I’ve been working at Howorth I’ve attended a lot of meetings with RL Cares and they’ve been great at helping people with their mental health, both at work and in everyday life.
“It’s going to be a great experience and I’m really looking forward to meeting Adrian, Paul and the other riders.”
RL Cares Chief Executive Chris Rostron said: “It’s fantastic that Howorth Air Tech will once again be involved in our annual fundraising bike ride and we’d like to give a huge warm welcome to James.
“Howorth are terrific supporters of our work and their sponsorship alongside James’s participation takes that support to a whole new level.
“All the funds we raise on DC2NYC will enable us to continue making a positive difference to the lives of people across rugby league communities, especially current and retired professional players who have concerns about dementia and memory loss.”
Howorth, which has its headquarters in Farnworth, Bolton, and a facility at Raven Locks in Little Hulton, Salford, designs, manufactures and assembles ultra clean air equipment for use in operating theatres, and for the pharma, biotechnology and life science industries. The company, which turns over more than £20m a year, employs over 130 staff across its operations in the UK and the United States.
To sponsor any of the riders, or to make a donation, please visit the ride's dedicated Justgiving page