Cycle for Sight

The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ works in the Pacific Islands, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste where four out of five people who are blind don’t need to be; their condition is preventable or treatable. The foundation restores sight to the needlessly blind and trains local eye health specialists to provide eye care services in their own communities. Treatment can cost as little as $25!

As passionate cyclists and veterans of a six week cycle trip across France in 2015, we have decided to combine our love of cycle travel and our desire to make a difference in the community with Cycle for Sight.

In November 2016, Mike wanted to make a small start to getting more people out on bikes and utilising the bike paths we have in Hamilton, and identified a purpose to do this. He created Cycle for Sight, an organised event where we rode from the Hamilton Gardens to Pukete and back. It was intended to provide some exposure for the Hamilton Cycle paths, and we also raised $525 for the Fred Hollows Foundation to provide funding to restore sight to the needlessly blind in the Pacific and beyond.

As a couple we spend a lot of time in the outdoors, with each other and with friends, often camping and enjoying our beautiful country first hand, exploring some of the paths less travelled. Sight is one of the most amazing gifts we think we can give, and many of those who the Fred Hollows Foundation work with are needlessly blind, that is, their blindness can be easily fixed by a simple operation worth just $25.

So in 2017 we have a greater goal – to cycle the length of the North Island, from Cape Reinga to Wellington City, and raise $5000 for the Fred Hollows Foundation.

We have planned a route which follows the Tour of Aotearoa, from Cape Reinga, South through Auckland, Hauraki, Waikato Rive, Whanganui River, and through Manuatu and Martinborough to Wellington - totalling 1500kms over three weeks. We would love fellow cyclists, friends, family and supporters to join us for part of the journey, and hope this trip will be one of many in future where we can continue to make a difference.