| |
 |
| Kim and Jack in the
beer garden |
|
This year will be
the sixth Charity bike ride for the Jesters ‘Care
for Kids’ Charity Drive. The first idea
of having a Charity Bike Ride for charity has
to be laid squarely at the door of a certain Jesters
by the name of Paul Baker, who along
with such mad Jesters as Darren Rose, forewent
their beautiful shiny highly powered motorbikes
and decided to rely upon pedal power.
Paul
has now left Thailand for a while, but his mantle
has been carried forward by about 300 sweating
and struggling bike riders every year. For some
it has become the yearly attempt to work off some
of the fat that has built up over the |
| last twelve months, some
of it of course had been put back in celebration
after completing the ride last year and going
straight to the Jesters beer tent for sustenance.
|
|
Many of the participants
are returnees, and some wonderful colorful characters
there have been, too.
|
Erik (right) with his
coach Robert cross the
50km finishing line at Diana Driving Range
after walking the distance overnight. |
|
|
JCD2002
Bike ride start
visit our gallery
for more pictures |
For the last two years Eric Sorenson from the
Scandi bar, (home of the Hash House Harriers)
has raised the most sponsorship to date. The first
year he put all his efforts into sponsorship collecting
for the conventional method of riding a bike.
However, last year he thought of a different way
to challenge his sponsors, he announced –
and accomplished – to actually walk the
50 kilometer route overnight. He arrived just
as the Fair opened. |
Jack Levy is about to attempt his fourth
50 kilometer bike ride, and the Pattaya Mail’s
famous Dr. Iain Corness will be going out for the third
time to sprint round the course ( well, maybe sprint
is a bit of a stretch of the imagination).
Print
this map in grayscale
But the riders are not the only stalwarts
of the ride. Kurt Farnham will be marshaling for the
fourth time. Catherine and David Foden will actually
be flying in from England to marshal the tricky cross
over Sukhumvit Road. Mark Gorda will, as usual, be the
mobile marshal/ water stop, giver of advice, and helping
hand in time of distress. Bangkok Pattaya Hospital Ambulance
Unit will again shadow the ride to deal with any mishaps
along the route and then return to the Children’s
Fair and be on station all day to give any help that
may be required.
The Thai Volunteer Tourist Police will
also be joining us again this year to show us the way
round, as well as another 21 marshals on the route to
make sure nobody gets lost. There are eight water stops
at which everybody is advised to stop and take water
onboard to avoid dehydration.
 |
To join our little venture all you need is
a reasonably sturdy bike, a lot of determination,
and your sponsor/application
form. The idea of the sponsor/application
form is for you to ask your friends and colleagues
to sponsor you. There is no amount limitation
up or down, but by the time you sign up for the
ride, you need a total of at least 300 Baht. However,
more the better! So
download the form from this site today and start
collecting right now.
|
The Charity Ride main Sponsor is BT Insurance,
who, like last year, has come in and covered all the
costs for us so that every baht you earn cycling the
course goes straight to the kids. BT Insurance also
supply all the water for all the water stops and the
start and finish.
Sponsorship forms are now available from
the Care for Kids and Shenanigans websites, or direct
from Shenanigans, the Blue Parrot, or Tahitian Queen.
The of the route is also available and downloadable
in grayscale here.
Please bring your sponsorship forms along
to the Bike Ride Registration at Shenanigans, on Saturday
13th September between 4.30pm.and 11.00pm, or register
on Sunday 14th September at the Diana Driving Range
Start between 6.30am and 8.00am, when the Bike Ride
sets off.
See you
all at the Diana Driving Range |
The entry charge for the ride is 300 Baht for
which you will also receive a fabulous Bicyclist
event t-shirt kindly donated by Baltex Industries,
plus plenty supplies of help and water all the
way round the routes. There are two routes this
year, a 50 kilometer Bike Ride, plus a 30 kilometer
route for those less adventurous, but probably
more sensible riders. The ride will clearly be
marked out with bright yellow signs from Thursday
11th September for anybody who would like a bit
of a practice.
It only leaves me to wish all the
riders a fun journey, and to thank all of the
people who work so hard every year to make the
Charity Bike Ride the huge success it has become.
|
|
|
