Charity ride raises $30k
Leaving Invercargill at 2am, Peter Redpath and Eddie Griffiths cycled 160km from Invercargill to Te Anau only to ride back again.
Griffiths and Redpath were taking part in the second Rotary Presidents’ Charity Cycle Challenge on Saturday, cycling from Te Anau to Invercargill on Saturday to raise money for Hospice Southland.
Redpath said he was setting himself a personal challenge to make the ride a bit more interesting.
While it was wet and windy when he and Griffiths left Invercargill at 2am, the weather slightly eased once they were inland, Redpath said.
The pair had side and headwinds the entire time on the way to Te Anau.
Redpath is the immediate past president of the Rotary Club of Invercargill East.
The challenge was a great participation orientated event that attracted good numbers, Redpath said.
When asked if he would repeat the same challenge next year, Redpath said he would reserve his counsel.
It was the biggest ride he has completed at 320km, his next best effort was 250km in the Westpac Chopper Appeal. Challenge organiser Ron Taylor said he estimated the ride had raised $30,000 for Hospice Southland.
Taylor is the immediate past president of the Rotary Club of Invercargill South
In total, 43 riders took part in the challenge, compared to 23 in the first challenge.
In the lead up to the event, the weather forecast was not looking good but on the day there was a tail wind of eight knots and sunshine, Taylor said.
Participants had the option of riding 160km from Te Anau to Invercargill, or a less challenging option of 100km from Mossburn.
The ride came about as an idea from past Rotary presidents to raise funds for charities, he said.
People still had the opportunity to sponsor a rider and could do so by going onto the Hospice Southland website The Gore District Council has spent almost $3000 holding training days for managers outside the district in the past three years.
The council spent $2707 for venue hire and food on the training days. These were held in 2016, when $539 was spent, 2017 when two training days cost $591 and $710 respectively, 2018 when $867 was spent and it has already held one this year which cost $677.
Stuff was approached by a member of the public who said Gore’s Love Gore, Shop Local campaign was a great initiative, but questioned why the council was spending out-of-district for meetings ‘‘while there are venues within Gore district that could easily provide the same service’’.
Council chief executive Stephen Parry said ‘‘the council has held training days for managers at a venue 14km outside the Gore district boundary, Mainholm Lodge. On occasion there have been guest speakers from within local government or associated organisations’’.
Parry said the council has not held any meetings outside of the district between councillors, managers and overseas guests in the past five years.