Ticket to ride; Biker offers his Harley Davidson as a raffle prize

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), May 31, 2008

Byline: By: TOM MULLENGREAT CAUSE:

IT IS the most prized possession of any biker.

But Lawrence Laidlow has decided to offer his beloved Harley Davidson bike as a raffle prize.

Competitors could take the pounds 15,000 machine home for the price of a pounds 1 raffle ticket.

And all because generous Lawrence wanted to do something for charity.

Lawrence has already sold 8,000 tickets for pounds 1 each, and hopes to hit pounds 50,000 by the time of the draw.

The lucky winner will ride off into the sunset on the vintage two-cylinder Y-reg mean machine - and he says he will even throw in a full tank of petrol.

The 45-year-old, of Boldon Colliery, South Tyneside, said: "You can't really say fairer than that, can you? A Harley Davidson for a quid.

"It's loaded with extras, it's got everything you need. It's had pounds 6,000 spent on it and it's a beauty to look at.

The footrest is actually shaped like an eagle's claw.

"Everybody who sees it buys a ticket.

Every weekend I'm travelling all over selling tickets. I'm at biker rallies and car boot sales, or around shopping centres.

"I've got a fair few thousand left to sell before the draw."

Lawrence decided to start the raffle after being touched by the work of children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent, which provides holidays, funds and treatment.

The married former RAF man, who has now started his own Web-based business coaching service, said he was moved to tears after meeting a young cancer survivor.

"It just melted my heart and I decided this was the sort of charity I would like to support,"he said.

And Lawrence, who describes himself as "skint", had to trade in his beloved Kawasaki Ninja sports bike to raise the cash to buy the souped-up Harley.

He said: "I haven't got a lot of money.

This is just something I'm passionate about. And I'm hoping by the time of the draw I will have sold enough tickets to pay it off.

"I just wanted to do something that revolved around children. And I can do it with a motorbike, I thought.

"The draw should be a great night. I want to find a celebrity to come along to present the prize."

There's every chance you might catch Lawrence doing his rounds selling tickets with his amazing shiny bike in tow.

But if you don't, visit his website www.whatifcoach.biz for tickets and more information.

The final draw will be held on September 1 at the Gala Casino in Sunderland.

Lawrence said: "It's going to be a good night - particularly for one lucky person."

CAPTION(S):

GREAT COURSE Lawrence Laidlow with three-year-old Erin Askew from Lumley and the bike his is raffling for charity; TOP MAN: Lawrence is raising cash for children's cancer