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Grandmothers cycling for a cause

Ride coming through Brentwood Bay on Sunday, Sept. 7
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The Grandmothers to Grandmothers Victoria team will cycle through Brentwood Bay on Sunday

Twenty-eight riders with the Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign will ride through Brentwood Bay this weekend in support of the Stephen Lewis Foundation.

Joanne Lomax and a team of riders are pedalling from Campbell River to Victoria Sept. 5 to 7 with hopes of raising $80,000 for the charity that helps African grandmothers who are the sole caregivers of their grandchildren who have been orphaned due to the AIDS pandemic.

“It’s my first year with the ride and I’ve been training since April,” explained Lomax, adding that many of the team members have ridden in previous years for the same cause.

“We all train about four or five days a week so it’s pretty intense considering the age range of the riders is from 55 to 72. It’s definitely a group of super fit, super strong women who just want to make a difference.”

The wonderful thing about the Stephen Lewis Foundation, Lomax added, is that close to 100 per cent of the money the group raises goes directly to the cause.

“It’s a really great and effective charitable organization,” she said.

Each rider is hoping to raise over $1,000 this year, Lomax said, but the team as a whole has already raised $50,000.

“We’re not all grandmothers in the group but we’re raising money for these grandmothers who urgently need things like nutritious food, health care, transportation, housing and school supplies for these orphans.”

The team drove up to Campbell River yesterday (Thursday) afternoon and will begin the ride today. They will end the ride in downtown Victoria on Sunday at the Legislature lawn just before 3 p.m. with a big celebration.

“Each day we ride a significant distance but all the way along we have support vehicles and people to cheer us on. We’re hoping people come out to the Brentwood Bay ferry on Sunday at noon to cheer us on there too, because I’m sure we’ll need it by then,” laughed Lomax.

To donate visit victoriagrandmothersforafrica.ca.

 

reporter@peninsulanewsreview.com