Mad Rotarians from Gauteng to Lüderitz on bicycle
The route the Rotarian cyclists are traversing from Gauteng to Lüderitz. The cyclists start their intra-continental trip on Good Friday and intend to arrive in Lüderitz on 26 April. They will convey a special message from the Mayor of Mogale to the Mayor of Lüderitz.
The first ever Rotary tour Deux Deserts is taking place from18 to 26 April with members of the Rotary Club of Johannesburg cycling a distance of 1610 km from the Sterkfontein caves to Lüderitz. The main aim of the tour is to raise funds for the “One School, One Sports Field” project.
This project will provide previously disadvantaged schools with the means to keep the children off the streets and the facility to teach them a sport. As part of this project, children will also be taught about their environment and conservation by supporting Bird-life South Africa projects.
“It is not a race against each other. They are trying to do the route in 9 days and are travelling as a team. The distance and going the whole way is definitely a challenge. Lots of training has been done and the cyclists are very fit” said Ulf Grünewald, International Director of Namibia Rotary District 9350.
“Due to major problems with drugs and everything else that goes with it, the Rotary Club of Johannesburg New Dawn are actively supporting the Anti-drug as well as HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns. This event is planned to be an annual event” Grünewald said.
This year’s tour is known as the ‘Rotary Tour Deux Déserts’ (Tour of two deserts, Kalahari and Namib) and a documentary of between 90 to 120 minutes will be produced by Noisy Pictures Productions. The director, Gert van Niekerk, is very well known for the Egoli and Binnelanders TV soapies.
Each participating cyclist had to pay N$15,000 to participate. The cyclists will travel through 19 other cities and towns in South Africa and Namibia and they will cover 1610km in the Rotary Tour Deux Dessert Annual Cycle Tour. An average of 179km per day will be covered.
The Executive Mayor of Mogale City, Calvin Keketso Seerane is sending a scroll to Mayor Hambelela Suzan Ndjaleka in Lüderitz and it will be handed to her at the end of the tour on 26 April 2014. The cyclists are expected to arrive from around 12:00 in Lüderitz and will be welcomed at the Lüderitz Stadium.
Rotarians are 1.2 million neighbours, friends, and community leaders who come together to create positive, lasting change in their respective communities around the world. They are a world-wide charity organisation that also produce events like this to collect funds to achieve their charity goals. The Rotary Club of Lüderitz continues to be active in the whole Lüderitz community.
“This event is the perfect platform to demonstrate the warm, energetic, hospitable and unique Namibian and Buchter spirit, and to create an everlasting impression on this and all future Rotary Tour Deux Déserts event” concluded Grünewald.
All details are available on the tour website at www.rotarycycletour.org
