Charity cycle crew return, offload cheque
A new inflatable rescue boat named Keith Roebuck will be out on the Tasman Sea off New Plymouth’s East End Beach next summer.
That’s after Joe’s Charity Cycle Riders successfully navigated the 372 kilometres from New Plymouth to Whangamomona to Taumarunui to Mokau before ending their four-day ride with a cheque presentation to the East End Surf Lifesaving Club on Sunday.
They easily raised the $26,000 needed for the boat, along with an outboard motor and trailer, and the excess funds they raised will be heading to the Life Education Trust.
The four-day Keith Roebuck Memorial Ride was in honour of the East End Surf Lifesaving Club life member, who was tragically killed, aged 70, in October 2020 after being struck by a drink-driver on a pedestrian crossing in Tokoroa.
His wife, Lou, suffered severe injuries in the crash for which she still requires surgeries.
Keith was also well known within the Taranaki construction industry, with the Roebuck family building homes in the region for more than 40 years.
There were plenty of brows beaded with sweat and the odd funny-looking walk as the riders pulled in and got off their bikes in perfect conditions at East End on Sunday afternoon.
Joe’s Charity Cycle Riders spokesman Hamish Archer said the weather could not have been more perfect for the ride, which went without incident, on the road at least.
‘‘There was a lot of good discussions and we got to see parts of the region you wouldn’t ordinarily,’’ he said.
The charity group, which has a strong focus on mental health and wellbeing, are no strangers to charity runs and there was already talk around what they plan to do next year.
‘‘There are a lot of options out there and we think we might even do a shorter one, maybe something off-road even,’’ Archer said.
Lou Roebuck said she was thrilled with the success of the event, in which she rode with the support crew.
‘‘The whole trip was great,’’ she said.
‘‘The surf club was a big part of his life. The bikers were a great group that he was a big part of, too.
‘‘I’ve been away with them since Friday so it’s been a brilliant weekend.’’
Lou said her late husband, to whom she was married for 25 years, had been a life member of the club, which he had joined aged 14.
The couple had six children between them, and nine grandchildren, and Lou said Keith would have been ‘‘very honoured’’ to have a memorial and money raised in his name.
‘‘He’d be absolutely rapt.’’ In October, Ismael Mitai, 40, who was three times over the legal limit when he struck the couple, was sentenced to two years and four months in prison.
Mitai, who had three previous drink-driving convictions between 2001 and 2003, had expressed deep and genuine remorse, the sentencing hearing was told.