GARDEN ROUTE | KAROO NEWS - The Ride for a Child 7 000km charity motorbike trip around South Africa will start and end in Oudtshoorn this year.
Headed by the founder of Pediatric Care Africa (PCA), Dr André Hattingh, the purpose of the ride for 2025 is to "recruit" volunteer private general practitioners (GPs) in every town Hattingh travels through as part of PCA's Doctors for Children Drive.
This "recruitment" of doctors entails having GPs in towns across the country who make themselves available should PCA receive a request for a child in need in that area.
Hattingh said PCA's continuous fundraising efforts enable it to pay for the medical expenses and surgeries of under privileged children as "doctors don't save lives, money does".
The idea is for individual riders or motorcycle clubs to meet Hattingh along the route for however long they can, whether it be from one town to the next, or merely a kilometre. Riders from the Mossel Bay area can either meet up with Hattingh in Oudtshoorn or in George.
It is entirely up to every individual person or motorcycle club or group to decide how to help raise funds for children's surgeries and medical treatment during this ride.
Upon reaching Upington on this sixth Ride for a Child, Hattingh will have ridden his Road King Harley Davidson the equivalent of the entire circumference of the Earth (40 075km) to raise funds for children's surgeries and on completion of this, a total distance of 42 000km.
The idea is for companies or individuals to sponsor Hattingh for every kilometre travelled, for example R1/R2/R5 per kilometre.
The ride will take 22 days, with the route and dates planned as follows:
Day 1: Sunday 9 Feb - Oudtshoorn to Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), N2 via George.
Hattingh departs from De Rust at 07:40, from the Caltex garage in De Rust, to join up at the main departure point in Oudtshoorn at 09:00, thereafter departing to George with a stop at the Sasol garage on the N2 in George at about 10:00 for bikers joining in George.
Day 2: Monday, 10 Feb - Gqeberha to East London
Day 3: Tuesday, 11 Feb - East London to Port St Johns
Day 4: Wednesday, 12 Feb - Port St Johns to Durban
Day 5: Thursday, 13 Feb - Durban (visit to orphanage)
Day 6: Friday, 14 Feb - Durban to St Lucia
Day 7: Saturday, 15 Feb - St Lucia to Pongola
Day 8: Sunday, 16 Feb - Pongola to Mbombela (Nelspruit)
Day 9: Monday, 17 Feb - Mbombela (motorbike service)
Day 10: Tuesday, 18 Feb - Mbombela (visit to Katoen Care Centre in White River)
Day 11: Wednesday, 19 Feb - Mbombela to Louis Trichardt via White River and Sabie
Day 12: Thursday, 20 Feb - Louis Trichardt to Thabazimbi, travel to the Beit Bridge Border Post, return to Louis Trichardt then onwards to Thabazimbi
Day 13: Friday, 21 Feb - Thabazimbi to Rustenburg
Day 14: Saturday, 22 Feb - Rustenburg to Vryburg
Day 15: Sunday, 23 Feb - Vryburg to Upington
Day 16: Monday, 24 Feb - Upington (visit to Jogébed baby and foster care homes)
Day 17: Tuesday, 25 Feb - Upington (rest day)
Day 18: Wednesday, 26 Feb - Upington to Port Nolloth, travel to Alexander Bay and return to Port Nolloth.
Day 19: Thursday, 27 Feb - Port Nolloth to Lamberts Bay
Day 20: Friday, 28 Feb - Lamberts Bay to Cape Town
Day 21: Saturday, 1 March - Cape Town to Cape Agulhas
Day 22: Sunday, 2 March - Cape Agulhas to Oudtshoorn via George and finally to De Rust
Visit the PCA website, www.pediatriccareafrica.org, or call the office (076 229 5663) for further information.
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