Ride for Compassion 2015

ethiopia

What’s your image of Ethiopia? Are your ideas about the country still shaped by the famine that filled our television screens around 30 years ago in the mid-eighties? Thankfully much has changed since that time. Ethiopia is not a totally dry wasteland. In fact, it’s a land of rolling green hills where improved infrastructure and living conditions are driving the country forward. Everywhere you look in the capital city of Addis Ababa you see cranes and construction machinery as new buildings take shape. This hardly seems like the country that sparked Band Aid back in 1984.

Unfortunately though, not everyone is enjoying the benefits of the developments. There are still many battling poverty.

I was in Ethiopia in July last year and I saw conditions that confirmed that there is still much to be done there. Thankfully Compassion is there and is serving the poorest of the poor. That’s why I’m so glad that the Ride for Compassion is supporting a project in Ethiopia this year that will see thousands have access to hygienic toilet and showering facilities, dramatically reducing the risk of disease and illness.

Ride for Compassion 2015

Every year since 2009 I’ve traveled between Albany and Perth, a distance of over 500 kilometres, by bicycle. Next week I’ll be out there again. The ride will involve over 20 cyclists riding around 520 kilometres from Albany to Perth.

If you’ve been reading my blog for any time you’ll know that I work for Compassion, but I’m not supporting Compassion simply because it’s my job to do so.

I work for Compassion because I am convinced that there is no more effective organisation serving the world’s poor. I have seen no other method of working with those in poverty that even comes close to the way that Compassion is working.

I’ve seen Compassion’s work first hand in Haiti, Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Thailand. Every time I visit another church that is partnering with Compassion I am amazed at the change it is making in the lives of the most vulnerable members of our world, children.

If you’d like to make a difference in the lives of children who desperately need your support, simply visit my fundraising page.

I can assure you that your money will be well spent in releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name.

For the 14th consecutive year, Compassion International has earned the highest rating for U.S. charities from Charity Navigator—the nation’s largest charity evaluator. The 4-out-of-4 stars rating places Compassion International in the top one-percent of non-profits reviewed by Charity Navigator.

Let me thank you in anticipation of your support for children in poverty.



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Just a Reminder

Just a reminder that from this Saturday until to the following, the 20th of October, I’ll once again be taking part in the Morning Cafe Cancer Ride for Cancer Council Western Australia. I’ll be cycling over 500 kilometres from Albany to Perth.

The ride follows the success of rides held over the last few years. This will be our fourth ride highlighting the cancer journey of a number of people and raising money to fight cancer.

My fundraising has been moving very slowly so I’d appreciate a hand to boost the tally to help those battling cancer. If you’re in Australia your donation is tax deductible. Even if you’re not, the work that Cancer Council WA is doing is making a difference throughout the world through some highly regarded research projects. Just head to the webpage and click donate. My aim is to raise $1000 for Cancer Council WA.

If you want to welcome our team home, please be at 98five Sonshine FM in Murray Street, Como, by 4:00 p.m. on Saturday the 20th of October.

Along the way I’ll be broadcasting my Morning Cafe radio program from a different town each morning.

Monday 15th October 2012:
Broadcasting from Albany 9 – 12
Albany to Cranbrook 91 km

Tuesday 16th October 2012:
Broadcasting from Cranbrook 9 – 12
Cranbrook to Katanning 80 km

Wednesday 17th October 2012:
Broadcasting from Katanning 9 – 12
Katanning to Wagin 55 km

Thursday 18th October 2012:
Broadcasting from Wagin 9 – 12
Wagin to Pingelly 100 km

Friday 19th October 2012:
Broadcasting from Pingelly 9 – 12
Pingelly to York 87 km

Saturday 20th October 2012:
York to Perth 97 km

TOTAL: 510 km

Please help spread the word.

I’d like to ask you to share the link to this post through your blog or whatever other means you have available. At the bottom of this post are buttons for sharing the details on a range of social networks or even emailing the post to others. Just click your preferred button (or all of them) to get the word out.



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… And so it begins

What a fantastic day. The day finally arrived and the 2011 Cancer Ride is under way.

We began by broadcasting from St. John’s Church in the main street of Albany. Then at midday the Mayor of Albany wished us well and officially started our ride.

We cycled just over 91 kilometres to Cranbrook with a very pleasant stop at a cafe in Mt. Barker.

The team had a wonderful day on the bikes with a good breeze mostly on our backs for a good part of the afternoon which meant we achieved a fairly good pace. The only downside was that most of the day was spent in the very busy Albany Highway. Oh …. and the fact that there were plenty of hills which bothered a few riders.

The people we met in Albany over the last few days have been extremely generous with great hospitality and lots of donations to kick the fundraising tally along.

The meal we had in Cranbrook tonight proved that country hospitality is always outstanding. We’re looking forward to a good night’s sleep before broadcasting from the Cranbrook Post Office then cycling 80 kilometres to Katannning. The roads will be much quieter tomorrow now that we’re away from Albany Highway.

If you’d like to support Cancer Council WA just click the link in my sidebar.



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The Day Arrives

We’re finally about to hit the road.

At midday today our team of cyclists and our trusty support crew will say goodbye to friends and family as we leave 98.5 Sonshine FM in Como to begin our ride for cancer. If you missed the details you can read all you might like to know at my previous post, Cancer can be beaten.

There won’t be any cycling today. We’ll be packing our support bus and driving to Albany in preparation for our first day of riding on Monday. The ride of over 500 kilometres next week will be a tough road but I’m reminded that those who are facing cancer often travel a much harder road. I’m glad to be relatively healthy and happy to do what I can to help people facing some tough times.

If you haven’t had opportunity to donate so far, please follow this link. Your contribution will go directly to Cancer Council Western Australia and to the amazing work they do. Donations of $2 and above are tax deductible in Australia.

As I try to balance cycling and radio broadcasting over the next week I’m not sure how much opportunity I’ll have to update you during the trip. I’m hoping it’ll be often and I’ll make every effort to keep you up to date.

You can listen in each morning from 9 to 12, Monday to Friday, to hear more about the ride and the work that your donations will do through Cancer Council Western Australia. If you’re not in our broadcast area, you can listen online by going to the 98.5 Sonshine FM website. If you’re overseas you can use this great Time Zone Converter to work out when to listen. Just enter your location and Perth, Western Australia to check time differences.

Thanks for your support.



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Please Join the Battle Against Cancer

If it hasn’t touched your life yet, I can almost guarantee that it will.

We don’t like to talk about cancer so we can sometimes start believing that we’re alone in facing its effects. The reality is that since I’ve started talking to others about cancer I haven’t encountered even one person who hasn’t been personally affected in one way or another.

I do hope you can spare just a few moments to read my personal appeal to you and consider helping

I’m about to undertake a bike ride of over 500 km from Albany to Perth to raise funds for Cancer Council Western Australia. This will be the third year in a row that I’ve cycled for this cause. I feel very strongly about it and if you’ve been effected by cancer, I’m sure you do too. The work being done by Cancer Council Western Australia is having effects right around the world through their high level research.

I’ll be joined by twelve other cyclists and each morning for a week I’ll be sharing cancer stories on the Morning Café, my 98.5 Sonshine FM radio program, before hopping onto my bike just after midday to cycle to the next town. The ride will start on the 31st of October and we’ll arrive back in Perth on Saturday the 5th of November.

The team is hoping to raise over $20 000 for Cancer Council WA. I’ve reset my personal goal to $2000. That means that I need 20 people to give $100. Can I ask you to consider donating $100 to help those facing cancer through Cancer Council WA? I know that not everyone can afford to give so generously so please feel free to give whatever you can. Every amount of $2 or above is tax deductible in Australia and will make a difference for so many. If you can afford $5, $10 or $20 it will certainly help towards reaching the target.

You can give directly by going to the secure Everyday Hero fund raising site set up especially for the ride. Just click the Donate Now button and select my name as the team member you’d like to support.

You can find out even more about the ride and my reasons for taking part by reading my earlier blog post, Riding for Cancer 2011.

Thank you for considering my request and for helping those facing cancer.

Can I please ask one more favour? Please use the sharing buttons at the bottom of this post to spread the message through Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon or whatever services you use.



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