Chain Ring bicycle riders will take to the saddle for a lengthy seven-day expedition from Kasane to Gaborone to raise awareness against cancer.
The event dubbed “Ride for Pink”’ main objective is to raise awareness in villages, towns and cities to encourage people to test for cancers.
Team Chain Ring, Cancer Association of Botswana (CAB) and Ministry of Health and Wellness partnered to drive cancer awareness and prevention in the country.
Chain Ring Team spokesperson Thabo Okie remarked that “it is our collective responsibility to continuously look into how best we can be active players in the fight against cancer, bearing in mind that the more effort we put in raising awareness on the disease, the more informed people will be of it and how best they can address it”.
He observed that the early the diseases is detected the better it can be managed.
The beneficiary of proceeds made from the event will be the Cancer Association of Botswana (CAB).
“This year we want to buy a vehicle to use in their daily operations countrywide which they don’t currently have.
It will be the second event of this kind by Chain Ring. Last year they did MaunÔÇôGaborone. Okie described last year’s journey as fun and rewarding. “Chain Ring managed to raise P10 000 which for the Cancer Association of Botswana,” he said.
The cyclists say they also embark on cycling because it reduces risk of getting other diseases including cancer and also to encourage healthy living.
Appreciating the gesture by Chain Ring cyclists CAB chairperson Keolebogile Pele Moleta explained that the organisation found it difficult to source funds alone without the help of good Samaritans.
“It is important to detect the danger of cancer at an early stage because it can be curable. If detected late it is difficult to fight and hospitalisation alone is very expensive at a cost of between P2 500 and P500 000,” observed Moleta.
The event is expected to start on May 21 and finish on the May in Gaborone.
