Cyclists gear up to Ride for Compassion for children living in poverty

A TEAM of 25 cyclists that will ride from Perth to Newcastle have raised more than $250,000 for children living in poverty through Compassion Australia.

The Burswood based charity hosts its annual Ride for Compassion, usually from Perth to Albany, to fundraise.

But for the first time this year’s route will instead take riders across state lines to the organisation’s head office in NSW, a total distance of more than 4300kms.

Compassion Australia relationship manager and cyclist Rodney Olsen said money raised from the ride would help the most vulnerable children living in poverty through Compassion’s Highly Vulnerable Children’s Fund, which included children whose parents who had left, died, or were unable to provide for them, as well as children exposed to exploitation and children with special needs.

“I have met many hundreds of the children and families Compassion serves and this ride is all about them,” he said.

“Compassion’s highly vulnerable children are sponsored but there needs are so great that sponsorship money is not enough.

“For instance, we helped a young girl whose parents left her and her younger siblings, who had special needs, to go and find work.

“One day, she left the fire she used for cooking running while she went to get water and it caught alight, burning the whole house down.

“At that point Compassion stepped in, rebuilt the home and have been giving her ongoing training in income generation so she is able to provide for her family.”

Ride for Compassion Coast to Coast will start September 15.

To donate visit rideforcompassion.com.