Ollie is home, working for the Crumlin cause

This is little Ollie O'Connell with his parents Noel and Katrina and staff members of Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children at Crumlin, having a party on the day Ollie was going home recently, writes Brian Byrne.

Ollie has had a number of heart operations since he arrived in this world, and he's the star of the Ollie's Little Heart Appeal set up by his dad and mum to help funds for a modern Cardiac Unit at the hospital.

More than 200 cyclists have now signed up for the upcoming Crumlin Cycle organised by Kilcullen Cycling Club, with the participants in 100K, 50K, 40K and 10K routes all raising funds for the cause.

Noel and Katrina have been overwhelmed at the response from individuals, organisations and businesses for the project "The goodwill and support keeps rolling in," Noel writes, noting some of the most recent additions to the roll of honour.

They include Rossa and Bronagh O'Donnell of Centra in the Curragh Camp who kindly offered to donate chocolate and water to all the cyclists.

Joe Swords and TRM are sponsoring printed Hi Vis vests, and organising the motorbike outriders. John Kelly and QK Coldstores are supplying 25Kg of beef, for those hungry cyclists who can still get up a stairs in O'Connells after the event.

Ivan Powell and the Packaging Centre are providing all other ingredients. Adrian Kavanagh and Kellings have offered juice and bananas.

"Every donation, offer of help, participation in the cycle is unsolicited and it just shows us all how generous a nation we can be," Noel says.