A local’s supporting two causes in tomorrow’s 12th annual Westpac Chopper Appeal Bike Ride from Queenstown to Invercargill.
Like the other 80-plus riders, Raymond Key’s raising funds for the life-saving Lakes District Air Rescue Trust.
But, since he’s chair of the Wakatipu Community Foundation (WCF), out of every dollar he raises, up to $5000, he’s also giving 50 cents to WCF — as long as people mention ‘WCF’ when donating through his Givealittle page.
‘‘Donors,’’ he says, ‘‘are getting the leverage of supporting both causes.’’
He’s happy to support the WCF ‘‘just to keep the lights on so we can do what we do’’.
Key says he’s not done the chopper appeal ride before.
‘‘I turned 50 last year and things happen when you’re 50, so I had to get fit again.
‘‘A few friends have done this before, and I thought, ‘what a great event’.
‘‘It’s a bit of a challenge — 1600 metres of climbing — but it’s a great cause.
‘‘When everyone talks about the issues we have with hospital care, the air rescue trust is the last line of defence, isn’t it.’’
Key says he’s been training about six months, including a few 115km rides to Glenorchy and back.
Tomorrow’s ride starts at Frankton’s Westpac branch at 5.30am and finishes in Invercargill about 5.30pm.
When he last cycled, in his 20s, Key twice did the famous 300km nighttime ride around Sweden’s Lake Vattern, the world’s largest recreational cycling event — ‘‘twenty thousand crazy Swedes do it’’.
Now he’s been bitten by the cycling bug again, over the European summer he’ll ride the 703km Route des Grandes Alpes from Geneva, in Switzerland, to near Nice, in France.
To support Key, visit bit.ly/42hRlgq
