Photos from Day 1 – Bendigo to Numurkah
Below are some photos taken during Day 1 – Bendigo to Numurkah.
Local cyclists raise $100,000!!!
Bendigo cyclists, including professional Zak Dempster, and Carlton Football Club’s Matt Kreuzer, have hit the $100,000 mark in the lead up to their fundraising ride from Bendigo to Bathurst.
The cyclists will leave on their 772 kilometre ride on Monday 4th October from Lake Weeroona (car park closest to railway line) between 7am and 8am.
Donations can be made online by clicking here.
All money raised by Ride for Youth will be used by St Luke’s for existing youth programs which operate in our community.
Ride for Youth… coming to a town near you!
What does a Carlton footballer, a professional cyclist with European-based cycling team Rapha-Condor-Sharp and 12 businessmen (recreational cyclists) have in common? They are all participating in St Luke’s Ride for Youth and they are passing through a town near you.
Carlton (AFL) ruckman Matthew Kreuzer and professional cyclist Zak Dempster have thrown their support behind this fundraising event – cycling 772 kilometres from Bendigo to Bathurst.
The group has already raised more than $90,000, with all money raised donated to not-for-profit welfare agency St Luke’s.
St Luke’s is primarily based in Bendigo but also has offices in Albury, Castlemaine, Deniliquin, Echuca, Kyneton, Maryborough and Swan Hill.
The group consists of 14 cyclists and three support crew.
They will leave Bendigo on Monday 4th October 2010 with overnight stops including Numurkah, Urana, Cootamundra, Cowra and Bathurst.
Further information regarding the riders and the route, please use the navigation bar links at the top of this page.
Backgrounder
In late-2009, Poyser Motors Bendigo dealer principal Adam Poyser and Tweed Sutherland First National director Matt Leonard were having a social catch-up. Adam is obviously a ‘car’ man while Matt prefers two wheels and is part of the local ‘cycling set’.
The pair cooked up a plan – if Matt rode his bike to Bathurst, Adam would give him $10,000. Better still, they decided that a local charity should benefit from this friendly dare – and that charity is St Luke’s.
The only stipulation for St Luke’s is that the money raised be used to support young people in the community. Not a problem for St Luke’s given that young people and families is the agency’s core focus.
Money raised by St Luke’s Ride for Youth will go towards the agency’s latest project – Connect Central – a youth focused centre aimed at providing services for young people at risk of dropping through the net during the secondary school to further study/training/work transition.
Further inquiries
If you are interested in catching up with the Ride for Youth on their trip through (or near) your town, please contact Adam Poyser on 0419 887 373. Adam will be driving one of the support vehicles and be able to assist with locations, planned rest stops etc.
Charity Auction Night Photos
Below are a few photos taken during the Charity Auction night. You can click on each of the images to enlarge them.
$80,000 – Charity Auction Result – Thank You!
Message from St Luke’s CEO
On behalf of St Luke’s board, staff and clients, thank you to all who supported the St Luke’s Ride for Youth Charity Auction.
I am staggered by the result – more than $80,000 raised in one night. This funding will be directed into St Luke’s youth programs including our Chutzpah Program, Smart Art and Deemed Enrolment Program.
A special thank you to all of the local businesses and individuals who donated goods and services to be auctioned for the night and, in particular, Andy Hoare whose Hamilton Island House and Boat holiday package was auctioned twice, contributing more $26,000 to the total raised.
The generosity and support from Poyser Motors, Tweed Sutherland, Hume & Iser and each of the 15 riders and support crew really has been overwhelming.
We really do live in a special community – one which understands that there is more to addressing an issue in our community than money.
Of course, the funding enables our staff on the ground to provide the best possible support, facilities and services for young people in need. However, just as valuable are the opportunities that are arising as a result of these fundraising events. Opportunities to connect our vulnerable young people with the business sector via work experience opportunities and the establishment of mentoring relationships.
To the local riders participating in the 772 kilometre Bendigo to Bathurst event, best wishes for a safe journey and thank you for your commitment to St Luke’s.
David Pugh
More than $40,000 worth of goods donated
If community spirit counts for anything, Bendigo’s 14 St Luke’s Ride for Youth cyclists will float from Bendigo to Bathurst in October.
A Charity Auction planned for Saturday night has exceeded all expectations, with more than 200 people to bid for more than $44,000 worth of goods donated by local Bendigo businesses and traders.
And syndicates are already being formed in preparation for the main auction item for the night – two nights in a luxury multi-million dollar house on Hamilton Island and one night on an 85 foot motor launch with Skipper, crew and meals.
Local businessman and Ride for Youth participant Andy Hoare has donated the main prize which is valued at $15,000.
Ride for Youth organisers Matt Leonard and Adam Poyser said the response from the community has been overwhelming.
Eddie rides for youth and St Luke’s
The Bendigo community’s ‘chaplain of cycling’ Eddie Barkla will have added incentive when he sets off for the 770-plus kilometres to Bathurst in October.
Eddie Barkla is one of our community’s most well-known recreational cyclists and in December last year, was ordained as a deacon in the Anglican diocese of Bendigo.
St Luke’s Ride for Youth spokesman Matt Leonard said Eddie was an obvious choice when approaching locals to participate in the fundraising event for St Luke’s.
“When you think cycling in Bendigo you automatically think Eddie Barkla – he is a great ambassador for Bendigo’s strong cycling community and Eddie’s ordination eight months ago as an Anglican deacon made him an obvious participant in our fundraising ride,” Matt said.
“Eddie has a strong sense of community and is a great supporter of young people in Bendigo – all attributes which make his involvement in St Luke’s Ride for Youth all the more important.”
Local cyclists launch 772km charity ride
One group of recreational weekend cyclists have stepped up their training as they prepare to pedal more than 770 kilometres – all in the name of charity.
“There are 17 blokes who have changed their weekend routine from a short ride and a long coffee afterwards to a much longer ride and a seriously reduced coffee break to follow,” event organiser Matt Leonard said.
The fundraiser will officially launch with a Charity Auction to be held on Saturday 28th August, tickets available from Tweed Sutherland First National.
Donated goods are also being accepted at Tweed Sutherland.
In late-2009, Matt and Poyser Motors dealer principal Adam Poyser were having a social catch-up when a dare to cycle to the NSW town of Bathurst for the annual V8 event turned into a fundraising project.
“Adam is obviously the ‘car’ man and although I appreciate a fine motor vehicle, I also like to spend my spare time on my bike, joining hundreds of locals for a weekend ride around the district before disembarking back in Bendigo for a coffee,” Matt said.
