This was all in support of raising funds for the Bambanani Community Care Organisation based in Southdale.
On December 16, 23 cyclists and two support staff left Alberton on their annual bicycle tour down to Durban, which took them five days to complete.
The cyclers started from Brackendowns and cycled towards Frankfurt, Reitz, Olivershoek Pass, Midlands and ended in Umhlanga. The group was made up of nine women and 14 men, the youngest member being 28 and the oldest member 64.
All cyclists made it all the way. Most of the cyclists are members of the Albion Wheelers Cycling Club, the largest cycling club in the south of Johannesburg.
They had two support vehicles during the tour. The tour generally takes four days, but this year it took an extra day because of a change in route having to avoid roadworks.
The cycle tour was started in 2015 by Jose and Sulveigh Jocha who raise funds for the Bambanani Community Care Organisation, which supports the Johannesburg Society for the Blind in Roseacres, Karina Retirement Village in South Hills and the Amazing Grace Children’s Home in Eikenhof.
They also operate a mobile outdoor soup kitchen every Tuesday afternoon outside the Turffontein Post Office, feeding the homeless and destitute. Bambanani is also actively involved in youth work and organising activities.
As a multi-cultural and small NPO with limited funds, it depends entirely on donations from individuals, sports clubs, businesses and churches. Last year, the cycle tour raised just under R15 000 from generous individual donations.
