The Gatvol Capetonian group recently announced that they will block all routes of the Cape Town Cycle Tour in protest for all the children that have recently been murdered in the province, as well as the rampant crime in the city. The Cycle Tour, along with the Rotary Club and Pedal Power cycling club, have now announced that they will highlight all those who protest peacefully at the race.

“After all, our organisations all exist to ensure that the children across our province – and in communities outside of it – are given a good education, access to sufficient water and sanitation facilities and a myriad of other physical and mental support structures. This includes sport and leisure activities which have a direct impact on children who are vulnerable to getting involved in gang activity and crime. Many of the children who participate in projects supported or run by Rotary and Pedal Power have no safe place to go after school and these initiatives provide that for them to a certain extent,” the Rotary Club said in a statement.

All the monies generated by the Cape Town Cycle Tour are distributed to the two primary beneficiaries for distribution back into the community. These beneficiaries are both non-profits – Pedal Power Association and The Rotary Club of Claremont.

These entities then engage with communities around the country to get involved with various projects. In the case of Rotary, the Rotary Club of Claremont distributes funding to 58 clubs in our District which covers clubs in Angola, Namibia and the western half of South Africa up to Plettenberg Bay. Those clubs then use that funding to support various projects in their local communities.

Rotary’s core focus areas on their projects are:

– Peace and conflict prevention/resolution

– Disease prevention and treatment

– Water and sanitation

– Maternal and child health

– Basic education and literacy

– Economic and community development

In the 2017-2018 Rotary year, the clubs spent over R29-million on projects in their district. Much of this money is from the Cape Town Cycle Tour but it is also supplemented by Global Grants from Rotary International, funding from sister Rotary Clubs across the world and local fundraising initiatives.

The Cycle Tour has for a number of years been involved in various projects in Oceanview through its beneficiaries.

Below are some of the Cycling Initiatives and projects that the Cycle Tour has been pivotal in:

– The Cycle Tour itself will draw between 80 and 90 residents from Ocean View as part of the Environmental Management plan working on the day of the event

– Pedals for Peace/The Cape Town Cycle Tour have invested in the building of a BMX Pump track on the Ocean View High School grounds

– Pedals for Peace/The Cape Town Cycle Tour have over the last two years donated in excess of 30 bikes to The Ocean View community wellness project

– For the 2020 Cycle Tour, it has already allocated 30 complimentary entries to Ocean View school children and community members to participate

– Bike for All/Qhubeka has identified Ocean View as a strategic project for support over the next few years. To this end, 200 bikes with training wheels were distributed this past year in the school and community.

Picture: Pixabay

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