the DAFT way round.com EnduroAfrica 2008
A "Not For Profit" Charity Adventure - Tenby, Pembrokeshire to Port Elizabeth, SA
November 07
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Contact Us
Phone : 01834 844 926
E mail :
david@thedaftwayround.com
Graham Lightwood
Phone : 01834 849 467
E mail :
graham@thedaftwayround.com
Progress Blog - February 2008
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01 February 2008 Right - that's got January out of the way - wet, windy, dark mornings and dammed Tax Returns all done. Here's looking towards a bright and positive February - spring is just around the corner which cues bringing the bikes out of winter storage - whoo hoo !! After the 2nd bottle of red, Graham and I agreed on the format of a circular "begging" letter that we are both happy about [including the commas!!] that we can get out to people by hand delivery and electronically. Despite Cold Artic winds and wearing a daft hat, Graham has posted 30+ letters through local business doors whilst I sit here emailing everyone and their respective dogs. I get zero result but we have phone calls from Charles Birt Estate Agents and TP Hughes Department Store, both here in Tenby saying "Got the letter - cheque waiting for you" - so thanks guys - a nice bump start to our February fundraising activities
We have to make a "stage payment" contribution to the organisers Enduro Africa by the end of February and we are currently running approx £1000 behind our target-to-date
The Charity Rock and Blues Concert scheduled for 26 April 2008 will [hopefully] be a major fundraiser for us and give us the cash buffer for further "stage payments" later in the summer but we have this month to worry about first
So if anyone would like to sponsor and/or contribute, now would a great time to dig deep! Click the Donate Navigation button at the top of each page to donate securely online or email us if you would prefer to donate by cheque
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04 February 2008 The concert's really starting to come together and you can now book individual tickets or VIP tables online. Please book your tickets early as it helps up plan and also helps towards hitting our fundraising target as soon as possible Click here to see the details and book your tickets online |
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07 February 2008
We've had a bout of negative feedback
over the last couple of days and, to be frank, it's
got us down a little :-(
The comment "We only support local charities" has been heard on more than one occasion So let me try and address that objection I appreciate the sentiment and respect local people's positive attitude to local charity events - but I would like to point out to all readers of this blog that this IS a local charity effort!! How much more local than "Tenby to Port Elizabeth and back safely" can it get? Whilst the final beneficaries might be unborn children in Africa, this is most CERTAINLY NOT overseas cheque-book charity. It is a local event This is two local Tenby bikers making a local effort to raise funds so that we can buy, fund, fuel and maintain 2 motorbikes in a country where every minute of every day, a baby is born with HIV, passed on by his or her mother during pregnancy, labour or upon delivery. Where the life expectancy of a baby born HIV+ is less than 2 years - just old enough to be a toddler. I have 3 healthy young chilrden - happy living in Tenby - happy playing carefree and safely on the beach - happy that they get regular pocket money from Mum and Dad - but I often take their contentment and happiness for granted That alone makes you think about less fortunate children, regardless of where they live I don't want this to come across a "Victor Meldrew" moment although I'm well practised at that! All I would ask is to all the people and companies in Pembrokeshire, as well as Tenby, take the time to visit our website, read the details and dig deep It's important enough for Graham and myself to put our lives on the line for this cause If anyone believes otherwise, let them try and ride any kind of motorcycle for 2000km, road or off-road without falling off - it hurts - bones get broken - lives are lost - one biker has lost their life in Pembrokeshire over the last few days RIP my biking friend So perhaps, to those people who say "we only support local charities" I would ask them to reconsider and to everyone..... Please dig deep When we've ridden the bikes In South Africa in October, fuelled and maintained them - just before they are crated up to go to the healthworkers that will use them day to day, we'll put a sticker on each petrol tank that reads...... "Proudly donated by the great people of Pembrokeshire" Now how local is that? |
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08 February 2008 Working with the local Tenby Observer Newspaper, we've just had a major article written about the challenge - hopefully that will encourage local sponsorship - thanks to Ceris atthe Observer |
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10 February 2008 Just had a very healthy donation from a mate of mine who emigrated to Australia only a few weeks ago - so thanks to Lord Pinder of Perth WA - no doubt he had a whip round from the servants on the estate!! Trouble I now have is to work out whether this was £Sterling or Australian Dollars!! If it was Sterling Bob then that very generous of you - if it was Aus Dollars - then you're a cheapskate |
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14 February 2008 Could we have company? According to the Daily Mail Prices Harry and William are keen to face the same challenge as Graham and myself! The idea is understood to be Harry's brainchild to raise money for his charity Sentebale, which was set up by the prince to help orphans and HIV/Aids victims in Lesotho.
William has long had a love of powerful motorbikes - owning a 175mph Honda Blackbird - which has previously raised concerns among police officers detailed to protect him. The same motorbike that Graham rides and until Autumn last year, the bike I used to ride as well!
Click here to read the full story
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15 February 2008 Gallery updated with some pictures from the 2007 rally - the terrain looks scary!
A Few Facts Of the 151 riders on 2007 rally, 10 were female Of the 151 riders only 1 rode off a cliff Only 1 bike was written off - testament to the suitability of the bike for this type of terrain The Youngest rider was 23 - the eldest 63 1 x Toyota LandCruiser cos the same as 15 x AG200 Agricultural bikes Out of the 151 riders on the rally, 12 riders were injured, 9 of them seriously enough to cut short their rally 4 with broken ribs 1 with punctured lung 1 with broken right arm 1 with fractured schapoid 1 with spiral fracture of tibula and fibula 1 with broken right tibula and fibula 1 with broken collar bone 2 with torn leg tendons 1 with torn knee ligaments 1 with broken ankle and 2 of them were medics!!
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25 February 2008 Got to say a massive Thank You to Wendy and Graham of www.smart-tess.co.uk who have very kindly offered to provide us with wicked design t shirts. We popped over to see them last Friday [sorry we we're late Wendy!!] The T shirts should be ready for our interview and photoshoot with Western Telegraph next week [makes us sound like pop stars - suppose it's all for charity pop pickers - not arf] - the quality of these microfibre t shirts is amazing and should be for sale on the website as quickly as we can get it organised
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