Putting the metal to the pedal has helped to ease hardship in South Canterbury for almost two decades.
The annual Central South Island Charity Bike Ride is back for its 20th time in 2024.
Ride co-ordinator Max Munro said the event had raised more than $2.4 million over the years, which had been distributed to more than 50 South Canterbury charities.
On Mr Munro’s first year, another rider had informed him he would have a sixthmonth high afterwards.
‘‘Well that particular year, we had floods.’’
He said he and his wife were riding on mountain bikes. As they set off the weather was playing havoc, with strong nor’west winds through to Tekapo and then southerlies and heavy rain from there to Kurow. He said, with a lot of the roads closed, it was a ‘‘helluva job’’. He had asked himself ‘‘how would you have a high after this?’’ But he admitted at the end of every ride ‘‘everyone gets emotional’’ listening to the charities tell them what the money would go to.
‘‘It’s really emotional, especially when you hear about kids involved.’’
Mr Munro said he was thankful to the community for the money donated and to the riders themselves.
‘‘The ride wouldn’t exist without riders.’’
He said over the years riders taking part had ranged in age from 16 to 80-years-old, and had come ‘‘from far and wide’’, with some riders travelling from as far as Canada, Great Britain and Australia.
Charities benefiting from this year’s ride would be Hospice South Canterbury, Family Works, YMCA South Canterbury, Life Education, Multiple Sclerosis and Mōkihi Hauora. Entries would close on December 1, or whenever they had reached their target of 125 places. He said there could not be more than 125 riders due to a few factors, but mainly traffic management. ‘‘Places are filling up fast.’’ Training rides and registration at csicbikeride.co.nz ‘‘It’s an amazing event, it really is.’’
