Pedalling a good cause
Riders brave wet conditions on their journey between Sydney and Melbourne.
A GROUP of cyclists will roll into Wodonga today with a unique fund-raising idea.
The four riders and their support team are travelling more than 1000 kilometres between Sydney and Melbourne collecting old bicycles to donate to people in needy countries.
“We’re working with Bicycles for Humanity,” ride organiser Lachlan Preston explained.
“It’s a volunteer grassroots organisation that takes bikes that people no longer use and sends them to places like Namibia in Africa to improve transport.
“It’s the first time anyone’s ever done something like this, collecting bikes along the way.”
The group, which consists of Scout members and friends, wants to raise at least $5,000 to transport the bikes overseas.
“If we can send over 20 or 30 bikes, that would be a good result, and every bike we get is a great addition,” Mr Preston said.
“The team will be at the First Wodonga Scout Hall in Reid Street between 4 and 6pm today (January 20).
“Anyone who wants to make a donation can come down and they can also drop their bikes into the Bicycle Superstore,” Mr Preston said.
According to Bicycles For Humanity, a bike can allow someone in an impoverished country to travel twice as far, twice as fast and carry four times the load compared with walking, giving greater access to education, health care and water.
While conditions haven’t always been favourable during the journey, Mr Preston said it had been rewarding.
“We had a really tough day on Sunday; it poured all day and it felt like we really earned the rest,” he said. “But it’s also been really good, a lot of fun.”
The riders will continue through to Yarrawonga and Shepparton following their visit to Wodonga.
By BLAIR THOMSON
Short URL: http://www.awnw.com.au/?p=12024
Posted by admin
on Jan 19 2012. Filed under Local News.
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