BIG hearted cyclists and runners are busy gearing up for a charity challenge taking place this weekend and being supported by Highland News Group.
The family-friendly Heartbeat Chall-enge involves a 12-mile run or walk over hills, and a 10-mile return by bike in the Clava and Moy areas outside Inverness.
It is being held this Saturday to raise money for cardiac care in the Highlands. In four years, the challenge has raised £55,000.
The deadline to enter the competition has now closed, however 125 participants have put their names forward to battle it out on the hills. Among them are 12 children who will tackle the event.
And for those taking part, local garage MacRae and Dick is pledging what has been described as "a great prize" for the highest adult fundraiser.
Ryden Properties is also providing bike tops for junior prizes.
Barbara Gray, one of the event's helpers, said: "Everything is coming along well. We're hoping to have music on the day, including a piper at the start and fiddler at the end, and sponsors are coming up with food and labour to help with scaffolding and the clean up afterwards."
She urged those taking part to try to boost their fundraising by holding events such as curry nights, baking stalls and race nights. She said there will be a great prize available from MacRae and Dick to encourage participant to try to attract as many donations as they can.
The Heartbeat Challenge is the only fundraiser for cardiac care in the Highlands.
Cash raised by the 2007 challenge enabled Raigmore Hospital in Inverness to purchase an £8,500 transoesophageal echo (TOE) probe, which takes high quality ultrasound pictures of the heart.
Other equipment bought with Heart-beat donations includes a mobile echo cardiac machine, which is transportable around wards. It cost £50,000, £15,000 of which came from the Heartbeat Challenge. It can be used by itself or with the TOE probe to perform ultrasound scans of the heart.
A diathermy soldering iron which helps creates a bloodless field around wounds when pacemakers are fitted was also bought with Heartbeat cash.
Cash already raised by the challenge is going towards the £8,000 cost involved in producing an internet learning module which will provide information about pacemakers.
With this year's cash, organisers hope to purchase palpitation monitors for GP surgeries to give to patients to carry with them for a week to use when they are experiencing heart palpitations.
Normally patients would need to travel to Raigmore to undergo an electrocardiogram, a test which records the rhythm and electrical activity of their heart.
Some GPs already have the monitors, which cost £1,200 per practice including software.
