It was a sight to see: a room full of cyclists, sweating it out for charity, bobbing to the beats of local DJs and a steel band.
It was a sight to see: a room full of cyclists, sweating it out for charity, bobbing to the beats of local DJs and a steel band.
The cyclists continued to pedal well after the sun went down when the lights were turned off and the event continued in the dark lit by lasers, fire throwing and glow-in-the-dark bangles.
The Rhodes University Health Suite, with the help of local sponsors and indoor cycling manager Shirley King, hosted the 2010 Cyclathon on Friday last week. The event ran from 8am to 8pm and enjoyed a good turn-out.
“This is the fifth year that the cyclathon has been running and that’s why we have made such a big deal of it,” said King. “We wanted to make a good impression and it turned out to be the best year by far,” said King.
The day commenced with a fun spin to the music of Lady Gaga and throughout the day different exciting themes were introduced to keep the cyclists motivated and entertained. Local DJs busted tunes, the Graeme College steel band performed, a fire poi demonstration joined in towards the evening, followed by smoke machines and lasers. The cyclathon ended with an hour of 80s music in the dark, where all the cyclists wore glow-in-the-dark bangles.
The event was to promote Health Care Week and to encourage healthy living. “We are closing health care week by promoting health and wellness and to get people to come to the gym as it is a huge part of promoting health,” said King.
Everyone was able to get involved, including school kids, students, teachers and other members of the community by paying R30 for an hour of cycling. King’s aim for the day was to raise R10 000, which they did, and they did so well that by 11am they had already managed to raise over R8 000 which will all go towards health-care charities.
Rhodes University will collect the money and will distribute it where most needed. “People have been paying amounts of up to R1 000 and some have sponsored bikes for the full 12 hours. We also have R5 500 from last year’s cyclathon that we have kept to donate this year with the rest of the money raised.”
Rhodes University students, Dom Hodge, Jess Goble and Glen Midgley were the stars of the event by making the impressive effort of cycling for the full 12 hours of the cyclathon without resting. Nine hours into the event the three cyclists were still in great shape, smiling and moving to the music. Hodge joked that she would have to be taken off the bike on a stretcher but luckily the three students made the impressive 12 hour cycle look like a walk in the park and were seen celebrating well into the night at the Rat & Parrot.
Local sponsors included the Rat & Parrot, which sponsored energy drinks as well as two bikes for the day for members of their staff to take part. “They have sponsored us every year so far,” said King. Other sponsors included Pick n Pay, Slip Stream Sportsbar, Spur, Pirates House of Pizza, Gino’s and Reddits, many of which contributed food vouchers which were given out as spot prizes throughout the day.
Another major supporter, which also sponsored two bikes for the day, as well as provided much of the sportswear and prizes was Shakatak. Shakatak is a sportswear shop in East London whose owner made the trip to Grahamstown to help out. “They really spoilt us… every hour eight t-shirts were given out as spot prizes to the cyclists,” said King.
King expressed her thanks to the Grahamstown community for their support and contributions. “The money that is raised is going straight back into Grahamstown because without the help of our community members we wouldn’t be here,” she said.
