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947 Cycle challenge

Fast & Furious peddlers raised considerable amount of money for Rays of Hope!!!

Name-calling and the numbers game were the order of the day at the 2016 Rays of Hope Cycle Tour awards evening on 30 January. The event was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Rosebank’s top-notch business and leisure hotel. The small but elite group of cyclists and cycling enthusiasts were treated to an evening of comradeship, fun and laughter and much ‘leg-pulling’ of their fellow cyclists, apart from tucking into sumptuous snacks and refreshments courtesy of Crowne Plaza. Master of ceremonies and accomplished funnyman, Warren Tanner-Ellis noted that Crowne Plaza had selected Rays of Hope as its charity of choice. He expressed gratitude towards the hotel and its manager, Don Jesseman, for hosting the awards event and providing the eats and drinks gratis. In a short speech, Don in turn welcomed all those present to the hotel. It was announced that the 2016 Cycle Tour of Hope, Rays of Hope’s annual premier fundraising event which was held in October last year, raised a gratifying R674,000 (net amount). This was thanks to the fundraising efforts of the 31 cyclists involved and the involvement of Super Group who helped to bump up the kitty, apart from providing on-tour support vehicles. In addition, the 45 Rays of Hope cyclists who took part in the 947 Cycle Challenge on 20 November raised R121,000 (net amount) – itself a most laudable achievement. The award winners in various categories (not all could be present) were called up to receive their certificates, and were applauded duly, honoured and photographed. The several categories and winners were: 2016 Cycle Tour of Hope (a) Special mentions: Shanel Munger – received the Iron Lady 2016 for being the Queen of the Mountain and the only woman on tour to complete the additional 63 kms on day two. Justin Pearse – a certificate of appreciation for putting together some great GoPro footage of Day one, two and three. Rhys Foster – a certificate of appreciation for all the work he did in connection with the amazing real-life, action-filled DVD of the 2016 ride which was screened on the evening. (b) Top fundraisers: First place – Gareth Tudor. Although unable to cycle in last year’s tour, he nevertheless netted a considerable pile of cash for Rays of Hope. Second place – Pierre Zeeman. His company covered his R5,000 fundraising commitment, but that didn’t stop him from raising more. Third place – Devan Slabbert. The cyclist who collared the most donors – Shanel Munger. Lucky draw for individuals whose well-wishers coughed up more than R10,000. Here, Ian Anderson, a Cycle Tour of Hope veteran, fished out of the draw the following names: Shanel, Pierre, and his own name (he gallantly insisted on a re-draw and came up with Devan Slabbert’s name). 947 Cycle Challenge (a) Special mentions: Angela, Kabelo and Tsholofelo. Before the race they had never been on a bicycle, but trained for the race and completed it. (b) ATC South Africa. For selecting Rays of Hope’s “Hope on Wheels” initiative as their Ride for a Purpose cause. (c) Top fundraisers: First place – Judy van der Wagen. Second place – Geraldine O’Reilly. Third place – Chris Mackeown. Overall, the awards evening sent out an unspoken but forceful message: in cycling, as in life, you must move forward, or else you will either fall behind, or worse, fall off and possibly be out of the race.

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