Doncaster DJ to stage fundraising all-day rave after brother's death

Johnny Dangerous, also known as John Bognar, will be hosting the Rave 4 Hearts event from 2pm until midnight at Labyrinth in Silver Street with a host of DJs from the dance music scene taking to the decks throughout the day.

The Red and White Party will feature sets from the likes of Lee Haslam, M-Zone, B2B, Luvstruck, Andy Roden and many more.

Clubbers are asked to wear red and white for the event which will help raise funds for John’s Balaton Bike Challenge in aid of the BHF.

He is taking part in a gruelling bike ride across Hungary in memory of his late brother who died from a heart attack.

John will be taking on the five day challenge around the perimeter of Lake Balaton in August following the death of his 48-year-old brother George.

John, 50, was left reeling from George’s death – and decided to take on the challenge to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation in George’s memory.

He said: “Rave 4 Hearts is hard dance meets heart power — we’re coming together for a full-day, 2-room tear-up in support of the British Heart Foundation.

“Dress in red and white and bring pure energy.”

Speaking about the bike ride challenge last year, John said: “I had this stupid moment: Why don’t you ride around the lake to raise money for charity?

"So I thought, okay, let's do it, came back and toyed with the idea, and then it became a plan, something I had to do.”

The lake is seventy-seven kilometres long with a shoreline of just over 200 kilometres.

It is one of the biggest freshwater lakes in Europe, with a purpose-built cycle track around it, the Balatoni Kerékpárút, which began construction in 1993, and runs through four counties, making it perfect to ride along.

He reflected: “I can’t bring my brother back, but if the money we raise can buy a defibrillator or fund research, then that’s amazing; I’m happy to do it.”

It is clear the matter hits close to home for John, and after losing both his parents to heart conditions and his brother, as well as suffering from diabetes himself, he just wants people to support his fundraiser, ‘not for me but for the charity.”

He said: “Heart conditions are one of the biggest killers in the UK, so if we can help combat that, if what I do helps just one person live a bit longer, I’m happy.”

He will be riding with his team of four, with three assists: Simon Hartshorn, and Austin Fawcett, both school friends of George’s.

John said of Austin, Moore’s Bakery owner: “When I called to ask if he wanted to do this challenge, Austin told me he had just suffered a heart attack. I told him not to worry, but he said, ‘No... I’m going to do it,”

Also in the saddle will be Lisa Cairns, his sister-in-law who enjoys biking and ‘recently cycled 46 miles from Manchester to Blackpool, just for fun, so she's going to find this a walk in the park’, added John.

Supporting them will be Andy Roden, a music producer and fellow DJ whom John has known for a while and who will be helping out with the driving, along with Bonnie Duff, the daughter of an artist Elle Mariachi, John looks after and who is ‘looking after our social media and just making sure everything is running smoothly, live-streaming the event, and making sure we are where we’re supposed to be’ says John.

Tickets are £15 via Skiddle – more on the door.

All profits go to the British Heart Foundation.

You can donate to John’s bike challenge HERE