Riding it out for the Community

On ANZAC day 2006, one year on from the inaugural Reed Constructions Australia / Echuca Moama RSL & Citizens Club Melbourne to Moama charity bike ride and the gruelling challenge was on again, this time raising much needed funds for the Moama Public School teachers and students.

After months of training and preparation eleven riders donned their riding gear, put their bodies on the line, and took off from Tullamarine Airport, Melbourne for the 210km ride to Echuca Moama RSL and Citizens Club. The riders being five Reed employees Glenn Robinson, Mark Ardouin, Scott Ivery, Peter Baumgart and Jason Henning along with club architect Theo Theol, Sutherland District Trade Union Club General Manager Tim McAleer, Incoll Project Director Leigh Wilson, CMF Properties Ian Kilday, Sales Manager at Porsche in Sydney South Michael Atchison and owner of Radios in Motion Chris Green all working together to overcome the pain and strains associated with sitting on a bike for over eight hours.

Thanks to the generosity of all those who contributed financially, the event raised $40,000 to go towards building a New Multi-Purpose Centre (MPC) for the Moama Public School. In the main this was due to major contributors in equal amounts from the Echuca Moama RSL & Citizens Club and Reed Constructions Australia.

The MPC will be used for all manner of school activates including group educational activities, special guest visits, inclement weather refuge, and drama classes.

Divisional Manager for Hospitality at Reed Constructions Australia, Mark Blizard officiated on the day of the ride and noted "that these sorts of events were one of the greatest examples of Clubs and the role they play in supporting the community. For our part at Reed Constructions Australia we were proud to be supporting the community which supports the clubs that support us"!!

During the presentation of the cheque, Echuca Moama RSL and Citizens Club General Manager Ron Stockdale said "as an individual and on behalf of the club I have great pride in being associated with this event, the ability to provide our local community with resources and facilities that they would not otherwise be able to attain is what our whole team works hard to achieve. Being able to successfully accomplish this and see the joy on the children's faces makes the hard work worthwhile".

More than 200 students were ecstatic when the group rode into the grounds of the club encouraging and cheering with all their might to get the riders through the last 100 meters of the trip which according to Scott Ivery made the pain of the 210kms all worth while "that part of the ride was the best, we were all struggling and exhausted, to hear the children cheering crazily it was like we were riding in the Olympics it made us push ourselves across the line and come home with the gold".

With our riders now resting and recouping the memories create a picture of the great day that was had by all and with the event again on the cards for next year all those involved are looking forward to the next challenge. To become involved or donate much needed funds to rural communities please contact to Mark Blizard of Reed Construction Australia on 02 9965 0399.