Cycle From East London to Port Elizabeth

I am going to be one of the non-staff members who will be cycling from East London to Port Elizabeth in December so please feel free to contact Carol Wathon to sponsor me, donations start at R100. Much appreciated for all your help so far! Thank you...
The following is an article that appeared inthe Daily Dispatch a few weeks ago whilst I was in Germany:

2008/09/04

ST BERNARD’S Hospice has decided to engage in an extraordinary feat to raise funds for their Paediatric Palliative Care Programme. In the early hours of Monday, November 3, four St Bernard’s Hospice staff members and two non-staffers will endeavour to cycle from East London to Port Elizabeth in four days.



St Bernard’s Hospice general manager, René Wienekus, who will be leading the pack, says that they have been talking about and procrastinating over this project for three years and finally decided, at the beginning of the year, to do it.

She further adds: “It sounds like and most probably is pure madness, especially in light of the fact that we are all mothers, not cyclists! We have given ourselves four days to get to Port Elizabeth. On the first day we need to reach Mpekweni Beach Resort, a distance of 105km, seeing that we can’t exactly sleep on the street when it gets dark. However, we have decided to do this project and believe that we will pull through, because we really care and believe in the work we do.”

Once the decision was made they started preparing for the challenge. Curves Gym in Vincent offered to assist with cardio-vascular training to get the team into shape.

Deon Leach from Body Classique is helping them with spinning classes to get them “cycle ready” and EL Cycle Surgery has sponsored their very bright cycling shirts, while Wienekus picked Felt Cycles’ co-owner, Dan Taylor’s brain for tips regarding training.

The team managed to organise their own bicycles, while the back-up team will be assisting from two vehicles, which Nissan Automall have sponsored for the event.

“This project not only shows our diverse approach to raising funds, but also our willingness to get involved – even to such a personal extent – to ensure that our financial targets are met. To me St Bernard’s Hospice is not just a job, it is a passion, said Wienekus.

“Our motivation with this project is to raise an amount of R100000 to help maintain and ensure a safe haven for our current and future paediatric patients and their families. This feat will also help put us on the map with regards local and national funders, who we rely on to help fund our cause.”

She said they want to promote the event in the media to launch the event locally and to encourage as many people from EL, the Eastern Cape and businesses to join them in “this exciting and unique fundraising project” by coming on board as sponsors.

“Sponsorship can be done by donating an amount per kilometre on the trip. We have already received sponsorship from Bill Heaton of Heaton Building Contractors – he will donate R2 per kilometre per cyclist – if we reach the Mpekweni Beach Resort on the first day. Several cash donations have been made.

“If we can secure our goal amount of R100000 before we start peddling, the team will be highly motivated and it would make every uphill, pothole, puncture, chafe and cramp worth the while,” she said.

The four-day destination distances are: East London to Fish River Sun (120km); Fish River Sun to Kenton-on-Sea (47km); Kenton-on-Sea to Colchester (83km) and finally Colchester to Port Elizabeth (45km).

For further info or sponsors, please contact event co-ordinator Carol Wathen on 0437210051 or e-mail her at carolw@sainet.co.za.