Source Keith Pretty, Public Relations Rotary Club of Drouin
For the past 20 years, on the occasion of the annual Rotary District Conference, a number of Rotarians have participated in a cycling event known as “Ride to Conference” – the purpose being to raise funds for Rotary projects, like Gippsland Rotary Centenary House at Traralgon. Those rides have raised over one million dollars. One of the regular riders has been Drouin Rotary’s Ian Symons.
Drouin Rotary Club has a cycling group which meets regularly for a “ride for pleasure and exercise” outing, and members decided to conduct their own ride from Drouin to Traralgon to raise funds for The Rotary Foundation, the charitable arm of Rotary International. Launched by club president Russell Ford, eight riders set off from Drouin early on a recent Saturday morning, with three Rotarians from Pakenham Rotary joining them. They were accompanied by the usual support vehicles, mainly to transport them home after the ride!
Drouin Rotary president Russell Ford (left) “waving off” the cyclists at the entrance to the Two Towns Trail in Drouin en route to Traralgon, with riders, Rotarians Paul and Jenny Rice and Tania Hansen (Pakenham), and Drouin’s Roger Playdon, Max Scott, Ian Symons, Kevin Roberts and Ian Haughton, with some of their supporters in the background.
Drouin Rotarian Ian Symons led the charge on this project, and said that it was a great project in which the club could be involved, enhancing camaraderie amongst members while raising funds for the highly-valued Rotary Foundation which specialises in health, education and humanitarian works worldwide. Ian said that, on the way home, there was even talk of repeating the event next year!
Club President Russell Ford said that club members who could not participate in the ride were encouraged to make donations in support of the riders, and overall, a total of $1,000 was raised. Russell said that in addition, the club had allocated $3,000 for the Foundation’s charity work, as well as an extra $1,000 for the End Polio campaign – a project which has been running since 1984 in conjunction with the World Health Organisation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, with wild polio having been eliminated in all but two countries.
After arrival at Traralgon, the riders, (including Gary Scanlon, Drouin treasurer, second from left) who joined the ride at Warragul, presented a cheque for $1,000 to Janne Speirs, representing Charlie Speirs, chairman of the Rotary District Foundation committee.
