Briefs
Red Sky ride
By
Australian Cyclist : 01-Mar-2008
Her mother's death from bowel cancer has been the inspiration for the CEO of one of Australia's leading injury risk-management firms to initiate, organise and cycle in the inaugural "Red Sky Ride" through regional Western Australia in March this year.
"When cancer hits a close family member, the sense of helplessness is huge," said Debbie Young, a mother of three and director at Aurenda.
In partnership with Zenith Insurance Services they are raising funds for SolarisCare in an inaugural event that will take 20 cyclists eight days to travel 750km from Perth to Mandurah from March 2.
"We designed this event because we want to increase awareness in our community of SolarisCare," said Ms Young. The SolarisCare Foundation operate free cancer support centres that aim to provide help with the emotional and physical side effects of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery and to help patients cope with the disease.
The team of 20 cyclists, six support volunteers and four support vehicles are all senior managers, business owners and professionals who have ridden 6000km in training over six months and paid $1000 to cover their direct costs.
All funds from the ride will go directly to SolarisCare and the event is expected to raise more than $100,000 with a five-year goal of $1 million.
"I think of my mother everyday and if we had known of SolarisCare, the difference to all our lives would have been significant," Ms Young said.