GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - With an overnight stay in Plett and a morning stop on the cards in Knysna, Capetonian cyclist Brendan Hurner will depart from Port Elizabeth on Monday 24 August to tackle the gruelling 1 000km journey to the Mother City in a week, all in support of the feeding scheme Ladles of Love.
For 12 years Brendan has been working in the professionally crewed "superyacht" industry, but he has been enjoying more time at home in Cape Town in the last two years, giving him the opportunity to reach out and do some charity work during the Covid-19 pandemic.
This came in the form of volunteering at the Ladles of Love depot at the Cape Town International Conference Centre (CTICC) at the end of April.
Ladles of Love is a volunteer-run soup kitchen that has been providing healthy food to people in need since it was founded in 2014, and has continued its efforts throughout the pandemic. The operation has grown to such an extent that it has opened a second facility, in Grand West, and another is to follow soon in PE. Which is where Hurner comes in.
"I began thinking how I could benefit them better as an individual. Being young, healthy and fit, with a drive to challenge myself physically, I started brainstorming the idea of a fundraising ride/cycle," Brendan explained. After pitching the idea to the Ladles of Love team, his idea was met with overwhelming support. "My drive to support the Ladles initiative is made easy … knowing that every cent of donations is spent getting food into the mouths of those less fortunate."
The exact route that Brendan will follow is yet to be finalised, but thus far the plan is to stop over in Jeffreys Bay, Plett, Oudtshoorn (with a morning stop in Knysna), Barrydale, Worcester, and finally Cape Town. "We plan to arrive in Cape Town on the evening of the 29th and finish the route off the following day, with a ride around the Peninsula."
Hurner plans to arrive in Plett on the afternoon of 25 August, and leave for Oudtshoorn the next morning with a quick stop in Knysna. He invites anybody who would like to join the ride for small bits.
"We'd love for communities to get involved as much as possible and for cyclists to join… The funds will be generated via BackaBuddy and by spectators donating per kilometre for the 1 000km we're setting out to ride in the week."
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