The Charity Cycling Club
A FULLY ACCREDITED NON-PROFIT AND PUBLIC BENEFIT ORGANISATION
Based in South Africa in the Pilanesberg Area
Charity Cycling Club - South Africa
The Charity Cycling Club, is a fully accredited Non-Profit and SARS approved Tax Exempt / Public Benefit Organization based in the Pilansberg area at the Sun City Resort, North West Province, South Africa. The Club is in existence since 2000.
Johann Maré, Shaun Wienand and Garry Needham started the Road Cycling Club at the Sun City Resort in the Pilansberg area of the North West Province, South Africa. Johann Maré had the vision to start an annual Charity Cycle Tour in 2002. Since then the idea grew even further where a Charity angle was incorporated into the event. Johann remains the driving force behind this initiative. To date he arranged and organised 17 very successful Charity Cycle Tours.
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The Charity Cycling Tours normally start at the Sun City Resort and finishes at the Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town. The Tour covers a total distance of 1, 749 km in approximately 7 / 8 stages. The objective is for all participants to complete the entire distance with the team. Not all Tours start at the Sun City Resort as three of the Tours have started at different locations / places.
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In the 1st 3 years of the Charity Cycle Tour, the Tour traveled from the Sun City Resort via the Hantam Karoo towards the West Coast of South Africa and then onto the Table Bay Hotel. This route was challenging and took the riders 12 days to complete.
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Since 2006 the direct route via the N 12 and N 1 was taken. The Team started pushing the envelope of what can be done through proper training principles and the riding time was shortened to 8 days and distances extended to more than 200 km per day. Preparation for the Tours improved as riders got fitter and used to riding long distances which resulted in faster average speeds for the Team over the entire distance.
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In 2010, the year of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, some of the riders covered a distance of 2, 400 in 10 days when the Tour started outside Mussina at the Beitbridge border post with Zimbabwe. The team cycled to Sun City and from there on to Cape Town. Initially 18 riders joined this adventure of 700 km with approximately 30 joining at the Sun City Resort for the remaining 1, 749 km journey to Cape Town.
In 2013 a new group of approximately 18 cyclists started at the Victoria Falls in Zambia and traveled through parts of Zimbabwe and Botswana and then arrive at the Sun City Resort 1, 300 km further. Here they were joined by another 30 cyclists and together the Team cycled the remaining 1, 749 km traveling the now "preferred" route to Cape Town, a total distance of 3, 000 km in 13 days especially for 18 extremely brave riders.
The 2017 Charity Cycle Tour started in Polokwane at the Meropa Casino and also included the Carousel Casino and Entertainment World. Two additional stages with an additional 500 km had to be cycled therefore resulting in a 2, 222 km challenge - not for the faint hearted!!
The 2018 Tour was known as the "Sweet 16th Tour" following the normal Sun City to Table Bay route. but resulted in a well trained Team completing one of the fastest Tour's in our 16 year history.
The Club likes to bring new challenges to every Tour therefore participants can look forward to see what the promise of the 2020 Tour will bring.
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The Club is not only about cycling..............we use our preferred sport and our Cycle Tours as the marketing vehicle of our fundraising effort. We raise cash donations and then distribute these funds collected by our members and our Tours and then donate money, bicycles, services and products to mainly children's charities. To-date we have raised approximately R 11 million for the various children's charities and donated more than 400 bicycles to previously disadvantage individuals.
What are we all about?
The Club’s key strategic deliverable is to practice and broaden the sport of cycling whilst raising funds for various children charities.
In March 2020 the Charity Cycling Club will; for the 18th consecutive year, embark on a fundraising initiative with the aim of raising funds for various charities, where destitute children are the main beneficiaries.
The Club encourages interested and committed individuals from all walks of life and various international countries to join the team with our fundraising effort. We challenge fit cyclist to join our Cycle Challenge by cycling an approximate distance of 1,749 km in 8 stages from the Pilanesberg in South Africa to Cape Town South Africa.
We use our preferred sport to achieve our objectives through a challenging Cycle Tour which incorporates fun, enthusiasm, dedication, commitment and participation from our members whilst, at the same time, raising funds for destitute children. The Club’s annual Cycle Tour is used as the marketing vehicle of our brand and fund raising efforts and we reward sponsors and donors with marketing opportunities through the media and on television through a dedicated television program.
The successful completion of our projects enables the Club to donate bicycles to people as a mode of transport, houses to orphaned children, as well as food and monetary donations to numerous Charity Organisations where destitute children are the main beneficiaries.