Press Release: The Tranz Alpine Scooter Safari

In a few weeks' time 250 nutters will mount up on 50cc scooters at dawn in Christchurch and ride them across the snow-covered Porters and Arthurs Passes, chasing the sun westwards to watch it set in the Tasman Sea on arrival into Hokitika.

They're participants of the The Tranz Alpine Scooter Safari - an endurance ride 250 kilometers from Christchurch to Hokitika to raise funds for the New Zealand Cancer Society. It's happening on Saturday May 26th, 2012. The event is not a race or a fun day out. It is designed to be the coldest, longest, hardest, most gruelling and uncomfortable test of endurance on a city scooter to raise money and awareness for cancer sufferers.

Started in 2009 by Jayne & Mike Rattray, the Scooter Safari was born in support of Mikes young friend and colleague at Air NZ Engineering who was diagnosed with late stage Bowel Cancer at just 32-years of age. To date Blair has been through 4 surgeries and several rounds of radiation and chemotherapy. During this time the Cancer Society have been right there supporting him from diagnosis through treatment and recovery. This is our way of giving back to help them continue their amazing work. We are pleased to have Blair riding with us in this years scooter Safari - he'll be going all out, entertaining us as Elvis for the day :-)

Each rider is encouraged to raise funds for the cause - by enduring 10 hours on a scooter one-week out from Winter, while their friends and family sponsor them for their efforts via their own personal online fundraising page. Since the launch of the website (4 weeks ago) the event has raised over $50,000.

The first ride saw 32 riders make the maiden voyage, raising more than $14,000 in donations for the Cancer Society. In 2010, 230+ Scooters conquered the Alps and raised a stagering $126,000. Our aim is to top that this year.

Our local branch of the Cancer Society have had a particularly rough year with the earthquakes and resulting damage to their main building and hospice. They also had to cancel their three major fundraising events, the charity ball and two relay-for-life challenges. So they are really in need of a funding boost!

Encouraging riders to give fundraising their best efforts, we have been donated a number of fantastic prizes. We'll be offering these to the riders who raise the most funds. Leading the charge is Chris Sutherland who has so far raised over $8,000 in support of his son who is battling Nueroblastoma cancer.

You can view the fundraising pages in order from most raised at: www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/fundraise/topathletes.aspx?e=912

Riders are coming from all across NZ to take part, and even one from Brisbane Australia. After just 18 days of the website going live we received our maximum capacity of 250 scooters, so registrations have now closed. Our desire now is to encourage donations and gather a show of road-side supporters on the day.

The sight of 250 wee scooters is one to behold and they do it in style too, dressing up and decorating their bikes for the occasion… we've had Santa, SuperMan, Buzzy Bee, The Stig and more. I'm really looking forward to seeing what comes out of the woodwork this year! You can view the timetable of our route and expected arrival times at each of the stops on our website: www.scootersafari.co.nz/maps--timetable.html
We do ask though, that supporters find a safe spot along the road to view the specticle rather than coming to the scheduled stops as we are very short on parking space.

Since it's inception, the Tranz Alpine Scooter Safari has raised over $190,000 for the Cancer Society. The idea, to ride scooters and fundraise has taken off, with it being the inspiration for two further events, the 'Southern Scooter Challenge', and the 'Central Plateau Scooter Challenge'. Both also raise funds for cancer related charities.

Donations: These can be made to an individual rider by searching for them by name, or to the generic event organizers page at: www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/ScooterSafari2012/

Website: www.scootersafari.co.nz
Facebook: www.facebook.com/scootersafari
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ScooterSafari
Donate: www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/ScooterSafari2012
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Quote from the Cancer Society Chief Executive:

The dramatic and far-reaching events over the last 16 months have required the Cancer Society to rethink and revisit how it delivers many of its services. From the first major Canterbury earthquake on 4 September 2010, followed by the Pike River mining disaster on the West Coast in November, and then to the devastating series of earthquakes under Christchurch city since 22 February 2011, the Cancer Society’s ability to respond to the needs of our community has been severely challenged.

The February earthquake caused major structural damage to the Manchester Street Cancer Society Centre, to Davidson House, our patient accommodation facility in Cambridge Terrace, and to our centre in Ashburton. Our services have been delivered from a “make-shift” office in one of our motel bedrooms at Daffodil House since February, with restricted space, telephones and the loss of many resources. In addition, the inevitable cancellation several important fund raisers, including two Relay For Life events and our Annual Charity Ball, coupled with competing pressures for the charity dollar, has put incredible pressure on our financial position. All at a time when our community’s needs for cancer services and support are at their greatest.

The 2012 Scooter Safari is a wonderful opportunity for the people of Canterbury and the West Coast to support the Cancer Society with much needed funds to allow it to continue its cancer support, health promotion and research. It is also a wonderful opportunity to create some much needed fun, camaraderie and adventure at a time when hope and happiness is “just the medicine” for our beleaguered communities and, especially so, for those people who are additionally burdened with cancer.

Elizabeth Chesterman - Chief Executive - Cancer Society of New Zealand/Canterbury West Coast Division

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