The Rotary Tour of the Blackwood

On Saturday 9th March a very successful 7th Tour of the Blackwood ride was held. This year, the most ever, 311 riders took part in the event.

A very pleased Mike Fletcher, the tour chair explains to us how it all unfolded, “For this event to take place we have over 80 volunteers, traffic marshals, watering point volunteers and those that manage the entertainment in the River Park.

“There were also 15 motor scouts helping out with any punctures, mishaps or unforeseen incidents, and there is a team of medical responders following all the riders.

“This year for those brave enough, ice baths where donated to be used at the finish or, for those who preferred other techniques, we also had volunteer masseurs.

“This year the event was modified slightly, to have all the riders in the three stages coming together around the same time. The Full Tour, 134kms, started at 7am; the Half and Best 65kms started at 9am and the Not So Cosy started in Greenbushes at 10am, bringing 75% of the riders together in the finish at midday at the River Park, enabling the celebrations and awards to be handed out altogether.

“The Rotary Club is very pleased at how smoothly the event unfolded with few problems arising.

“The tour has become the biggest fund raiser for the Bridgetown Rotary Club with around $70,000 being raised this year.

“This amount of money was boosted above registration fees obtained by the efforts of riders and their sponsors, with teenagers Hannah Khong and Tommey Warren making standout efforts and En Khong who was riding in his 6th tour, raising funds from a sausage sizzle at Bunnings.

“The Rotary Club feels the event has a lot of potential for growth, with the idea of having a new ride ridden on a gravel road section.”

With the monies raised the Rotary Club is supporting Blackwood Youth Action (BYA) which is a local charity that supports young people in the Warren Blackwood region and surrounds.

Mental illness is the leading cause of death in young people in Australia. In the Warren Blackwood region, young people with mental health problems have extremely limited access to services to support them.

Funds raised from the Rotary Tour of the Blackwood support the provision of part time individualised counselling service for youth with mental illness living within the Bridgetown and Manjimup areas.

This year the Bridgetown Rotary Club are also supporting a new cause, the Bridgetown Greenbushes Suicide Prevention Network, (BGSPN).”

The BGSPN strives to create a safe and supportive community where people feel valued, connected, and empowered to seek help and offer support to others to help those who are experiencing suicidal thoughts or have been affected by suicide.

By increasing public knowledge and understanding of mental health and suicide prevention, the BGSPN aims to reduce stigma and encourage people to seek help when needed.

All in all, the money raised will be well spent.