Cyclists Bringing Aroha To Hawkes Bay From Across The Motu

At 8am on Saturday 17 February, a group of 14 plucky cyclists will set off from Henley Lake, Masterton on the 700km Tour Aroha challenge. Their aim is to raise money for the Bay View Community Charitable Trust, a community trust covering the regions of Esk Valley, Tangoio, Whirinaki and Bay View, which were devastated in the flooding caused by cyclone Gabrielle one year ago.

Prior to Cyclone Gabrielle, The Bay View Community Charitable Trust was a small community trust working on community social welfare projects. Since the cyclone, it has expanded to meet the needs of the communities. In the past year, it has sourced and distributed funds directly to impacted households and to community clean-up efforts; provided community drop-in sessions and one-on-one support for affected whānau; and set up practical supports such as establishing a community tool library. It has helped to support countless whānau through some of their darkest days since the cyclone hit on Valentine’s day 2023.

The Tour Aroha challenge is the creation of Wellington resident and passionate cyclist Amy-lou Turner, who came to New Zealand from England at the start of 2020, just before the Covid lockdowns. Amy-lou said: “Aotearoa has been such a haven for me, especially during Covid when it really felt like a beacon of hope for me while the rest of the world was going crazy. When I saw the devastation in the Hawkes Bay on the news, I knew that I really wanted to give something back to this wonderful country which has welcomed me, and which I now call home. I decided to call the event Tour Aroha because the cyclone hit on Valentine’s Day, and because I wanted to spread the Aroha to the people of Hawkes Bay.”

Participating riders come from towns and cities across the North Island, such as Hamilton, New Plymouth, Rotorua, Napier, Auckland and Wellington. So far they’ve raised almost $5,000.

Amy-lou is calling on Kiwis to support the riders on their journey and help spread the aroha to the Hawkes Bay. All funds raised go directly to the Bay View Community Charitable Trust. Donate at givealittle.co.nz/event/tourarohanz

© Scoop Media