THE drummer of rock band The Cure is saddling up for the London to Brighton Bike Ride in memory of one of the band’s long-time members.
Jason Cooper, member of the band since 1995, will cycle the 54-mile route from Clapham Common to Brighton seafront this Sunday in memory of Paul ‘Ricky’ Welton - a member of the band’s crew and Jason’s drum tech who died in 2019.
Ricky suffered a heart attack while The Cure was on tour in Helsinki, tragically dying days later in hospital in the UK.
Jason will be taking on the route to remember Ricky and to help raise vital funds for the British Heart Foundation’s life-saving research into heart and circulatory diseases, to help prevent others from losing a family member or friend too soon.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Jason said: “We shared lots of moments, he was just wonderful to have on stage and I could always depend on him. Ricky is dearly missed.
“The British Heart Foundation hope to raise £2.8 million from the event, which will see 14,000 riders taking part. They spend millions of pounds to fund life-saving research and it is such a worthy cause.”
Jason has so far raised almost £8,500, with one superfan donating more than £6,000 to his fundraiser.
Jason Hunley, from the USA, is a cancer survivor himself and will receive a drum lesson from Jason Cooper in return for matching donations he received on his JustGiving page.
Jason Hunley said: “About five years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer and initially the outlook wasn’t very good for me. Fortunately, I’m cancer-free now and in a recent surveillance scan it was noted that I have mild calcification in some of my coronary arteries. I’ve had relatives, including my great aunt Irene, who have died from heart-related diseases in the past, so this is a really important topic for me and my family.
“I’ve been a huge fan of The Cure for over 30 years and this donation is a way of giving back to support Jason and help to fund the incredible research that the British Heart Foundation does for so many people.
“Having always wanted to learn the drums, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The idea of matching donations raised by Jason is a great way to make this happen. I wish him all the best for the ride and cannot wait to meet in person later in the year.”
Lee Sumner, event manager for the bike ride, said that Jason’s fundraiser is “inspiring” and said: “I wish Jason the very best of luck on event day, along with the other 14,000 riders taking part in the London to Brighton Bike Ride.
“It’s thanks to people like him that the British Heart Foundation can continue to fund science projects that will help to save and improve lives of people with heart and circulatory conditions.”
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