Calder Valley Search & Rescue Team has been selected as a supermarket’s charity of the year.
Sainsbury’s in Halifax will raise money for the group as part of the store’s national good cause scheme which has raised £6 million throughout the country since 2009.
Staff and customers were asked to vote for their favourite local charity and the search and rescue team came out on top.
The first fundraising event will be an epic cycle challenge called the Big Bike Ride.
It will see Halifax staff stop off at 18 Sainsbury’s stores around Yorkshire.
The ride, on Saturday September 13, will start with the Ripon store and end at the White Rose Centre in Leeds.
All that weekend there will be fundraising events in the Halifax store including an exercise bike challenge and members from the rescue team will be on hand to raise awareness of what they do.
Team member Matthew Greaves said: “It is an honour to be chosen as Sainsbury’s charity of the year and a fantastic opportunity to raise much-needed funds.
“It costs £35,000 per year just to keep the team operational which is entirely raised by the community, local businesses and fundraising.”
Later this year the team hopes to replace one of its ageing vehicles.
Calder Valley Search & Rescue Team, formed in 1966, offers an emergency service in remote moors and open land in the Calder Valley and beyond. It has 50 unpaid volunteers.
For details see www.cvsrt.org.uk/support-us/
