Hit the road to raise a million
Motorbikers and quadbikers will join forces and travel 1000km from Johannesburg to Ballito to raise funds for the local NPO, QASA.
THE off-road adventure, Quads 4 Quads, will see 500 quad bikers and motorbikers take off from Johannesburg’s Carnival City and make their way to Ballito from Thursday 26 September.
Quads 4 Quads was conceived 10 years ago by Family Adventures and will put the riders through their paces when they have to complete the 1000km journey in four days. The participants will travel through some of the most challenging terrain and rural areas, to raise money for the QuadPara Association of South Africa (QASA).
What is unique about this amazing journey, is that at least a dozen quadriplegics and paraplegics also participate on their adapted off-road motorbikes. The CEO of QASA, Ari Seirlis, a high-level quadriplegic, will be participating for the eighth time on his adapted Polaris Side x Side motorbike. The event is well supported with backup, medical and breakdown facilities, community encouragement and rider camaraderie.
“Quads 4 Quads has grown and evolved in the last 10 years, to include two-wheeled off road motorbikes, adventure motorbikes, adapted buggies and almost anything off-road that would be able to go the distance over mountains, through rivers and rocky passes, through railway tunnels and sweeping dust roads,” said Ari.
The growth also insisted that the same event is run on a return leg the next week from Ballito to Johannesburg finishing at Carnival City on Sunday 6 October where it is predicted that a cheque of more than R1 million will be handed over to QASA.
“When all is done and dusted, 500 off-road riders would have covered 2000km of some of the roughest terrain in the country, not only having done this to improve the lives and develop the capacity of quadriplegics and paraplegics who have very limited mobility, but the rural communities through which the event has traveled,” said Ari.
In the last nine years the event has raised more than R5 million for QASA and has allowed the association to develop and deliver projects and services to empower the lives of quadriplegics and paraplegics.
A driver training programme, free computer training for skills development, wheelchairs and assistive devices, education bursaries and sports bursaries are some of the immediate projects that are funded by the funds raised from Quads 4 Quads.
QASA also provides strong lobby and advocacy activities to ensure human rights and dignity for people with disabilities as well as delivering prevention of spinal cord injury strategies, especially in road safety.
