GEOFF & GRAHAM DEFT HANDS WITH SAUSAGE SIZZLE AT PIARA WATERS PRIMARY SCHOOL BREAKFAST FOR DADS.
The idea for Ride to the Other Side was born while Craig Alford – (Rotary District 9465 Assistant Governor at the time) – was touring Hustler’s US mower plant. (He sells the machines at his Armadale business.) Riding a mower around Australia was certainly a novel way to draw attention to some important causes and raise some money – the goal was $1 million. But it was a pretty serious undertaking.
It was clear the adventure would need to be attempted in stages, and it was decided to make the first a reasonably short one to give the machinery and the crew a try-out. So, in March 2012, the Ride set off from Armadale in Perth’s eastern suburbs to Kalgoorlie. Since then, further legs completed were: Kalgoorlie to Adelaide (2013); Adelaide to Sydney, via Melbourne and Tasmania (2014); Sydney to Katherine, NT (2015) and then Katherine to Perth (2016). Over the full journey, more than $350,000 has been raised for various charities, including the EJ Whitton Foundation, Rotary Health, End Polio Now, the Royal Flying Doctor Service and Rotary Foundation
And the mower travelled all that way on one set of tyres until they got a blow-out about 200kms from Perth on the home stretch!. The mower averaged 24 k.p.h with a top speed being reached of 39.1 k.p.h.
It's a tremendous achievement that Craig's fellow Rotarians agree is worthy of the strongest accolades.
Past President, Craig Alford was taken by surprise at last weekend’s District 9456 Conference in Bunbury when he was presented with the Rotary International Service Above Self award by RI President’s Representative Garry Browne and District Governor, Melodie Kevan. There are only 100 such awards presented globally each year.
President Craig Alford and his crew are getting ready to drive a ride-on lawnmower on the next leg across Australia.
This next section will cover 5300 kms through New South Wales to Darwin via Brisbane & Townsville, finishing up at the Beer Can Regatta. And it's all to raise much-needed funds for Charity. The ride, which commenced with the Armadale WA to Kalgoorlie leg in 2102, raises awareness and funds for Australian Rotary Health's mental health research and the Royal Flying Doctor Service. In 2013 the team rode 2200 kms over 11 days from Kalgoorlie to Adelaide, then 2300 Kms from Adelaide to Sydney in 2014 over 22 days.
The ultimate goal is to raise $1 million for these charities over the entire journey around Australia.
For more information, or to pledge your support, go to: www.ridetotheotherside.org.au
or see the Ride Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RidetotheOtherSide?fref=ts
Youth Crime Prevention Officers, Kaye Turner & Kim Bryce from Armadale Police, with Save the Children’s Karina Chicote and Steve Dyson (Photo: Community Newspaper Group)
Save the Children:
Building a Better Tomorrow for Armadale Youth
An international children’s charity and the WA Police are working together to reduce juvenile crime in the Armadale region, with a special emphasis on helping local aboriginal young people to turn their lives around. Our guest speaker this week gave a very articulate, informative and passionate talk about the “Strong Tomorrow” programme, which is making a real difference in our community.
Karina Chicote is the Youth Programme Coordinator (Perth Metropolitan) for Save The Children Australia and is a great advocate for the cause. She was accompanied at our meeting by Save the Children’s Business Development Consultant, Tony McManus.
“Strong Tomorrow” is a secondary intervention programme. Save the Children works in collaboration with local Youth Crime Prevention Officers (YCIOs) to support young offenders to reduce offending, through addressing the underlying social and environmental issues that lead to crime, marginalisation and victimisation, through mentoring and intensive support.
Juvenile crime is not only costly to the community but to young lives caught up in it. “Strong Tomorrow” helps the young people develop life skills and cultural values.
Sadly, there is a very strong over-representation of Aboriginal youth in Western Australia’s crime scene, with 75% of juvenile youth in detention being of Aboriginal background—and 20% of these are from the Armadale area. So programmes like “Strong Tomorrow” need to receive ongoing funding to turn the tide. The programme has a very impressive success rate. One example cited was that of a young boy who went from 22 offences prior to involvement in the programme to no offences following. Others had an 85% reduction in offences. 100% of participants say that the programme has helped them.
An initial Government grant of $25,000 has demonstratively saved the Government $140,000 that would have been incurred through crimes that are not being committed as a result of the intervention. Save the Children are digging into their own funds to maintain the programme. Members and friends of Rotary are encouraged to canvas politicians and people of influence with a view to a further grant being made to keep “Strong Tomorrow” up and running.
Service Above Self
Seville Grove, WA 6112
Australia