The Journal-Pioneer (Summerside)
Local News,
A little pedal power can get you from Tip to
Tip
Cycling fundraiser to help African village
Mackay, Mary
Transcontinental Media
Sheri Chislett is
willing to go the distance when it comes to helping strangers on the other side
of the world.
Starting on the Friday leading into the
Victoria Day weekend in May, this
"I was out twice on the weekend - not the
most successful training I have ever done," laughs Chislett,
whose posterior hadn't graced a bicycle seat since Diana Ross's Ain't No Mountain High Enough was number one on the hitparade.
Chislett, who is on the Tip to Tip for Africa organizing committee,
may be thinking Ain't No Island Flat Enough right now
but that hasn't dented her determination.
"I keep
saying I'm going to be ready. I think we have about five or six full weeks and
if the weather co-operates I really plan on getting out there a minimum of
three times a week, more if I can."
The second
cyclist to sign up, Chislett was beaten to the front
of the registration line by Martha Deacon, the go-getter behind the Tip
to Tip for Africa fundraiser for the Townships Project. Co- founded in December
1998 by Deacon and Rev. Lulama Ntshingwa
of the Eastern Cape Provincial Council of Churches, the Townships Project makes
small loans to very poor people in
To date, the
project has made more than 1,100 loans starting at $120 Canadian and assisted
more than 3,500 people, mostly women, out of poverty.
"One of
the things we're most terrified of is we don't know what to do, we look at
"We're
also terrified because it's very frightening to be a 'have- it' and confront a
'have-not.' How do you talk?
"The
common link we found, when we brought the two sides together, was they could
look eye to eye because one knows from our side we're glad we're there and
helping and we're pleased with ourselves. From their side, they're pleased with
what they're able to do and they're pleased to be able to tell their
story."
Sibyl Cutcliffe of Charlottetown experienced one of those
eye-to-eye meetings in 2000 after being drawn in by Deacon's overwhelming
enthusiasm for The Townships Project. While in
"One lady
had a little shop at the back of her house . . . ," says Cutcliffe. "There was very little on the shelves, but
she was using her money to buy and sell in this poor neighbourhood
and according to what we heard from her was doing reasonably well. She was
maintaining her home, maintaining her kids and able to send them off to
school."
Cutcliffe, who still maintains a long distance friendship with
township resident Maggie Ntsuntsu, who hosted her for
one night, says
"It's
because there's that personal contact. They know that with Martha the money is
going to the project."
The Tip
to Tip for Africa began with Deacon's dual desire to raise money for this charity
and do something to promote the Confederation Trail which her father, the late
Donald Deacon, strongly supported.
"It was
my father's dream that this would be an economic engine for tourism in P.E.I.
and would really be a great thing for the
Organizing the
Tip to Tip for Africa's four-day ride from
First up was a
framework of accommodations. Once the Rodd Mill River
Resort, the Quality Inn - Garden of the Gulf in Summerside
and Greenwich Gate in St. Peter's came on board, the other facets of the trip
began to fall into place.
"The time
of year is near perfect. It's a way of addressing the opening of our tourist
season so that most of the accommodations are vacant, but they're looking to
get some promotion for the coming year," says Gordon MacQueen,
owner of MacQueen's Bike Shop, one of several local
companies, including Prince Edward Tours and Outside Expeditions, that has
offered vans and bicycle trailers to help transport the cyclists to and from
their start and end points.
During the
off-cycling time there will also be lots of local entertainment.
"There
are 10 meals involved and then a snack, morning and evening, says Deacon. "It's a huge undertaking. We've tried to involve the
community all the way along."
For example,
the Tignish Boys and Girls Club is
hosting a lunch. There is a Lions Club breakfast in O'Leary and an Evangeline
District Community Acadian luncheon feast in
"In all
of these instances we're not asking them to provide anything for free,"
she adds. "We're actually giving the organization a cheque,
not as large as we'd like... But I've been able to find generous individuals
who have said, 'Yes, I'll sponsor a lunch or dinner. Maritime Electric is
coming in (with) some meal sponsorship and we're making it work one way or
another."
One unusual
pit stop option on Sunday's schedule is the Blessing of the Bikes service at
Trinity United church in
"What I
want to do is really lift up the Townships Project and
recognize the people who have been cycling the province to raise money to help
people in
"So we
want to add our blessing to the endeavours of all of
the people who are taking part, give thanks for what people have done and that
the people of
Members of the
P.E.I. division of the Canadian Ski Patrol will be a constant presence
throughout the ride. Perhaps best known for their work at Brookvale
Provincial Ski Park in both the alpine and nordic ski
sections, this group of active volunteers also appears at non-ski,
sports-oriented events such as Cycle P.E.I., the P.E.I. Women's Institute
Legacy Bike tours, Bridgefest and Red Cross Relays.
"We
probably put more hours of volunteer time in during the summertime than we do
in the winter and that's because we like doing those things that are becoming
the norm," says Ron Hately, assistant patrol
leader nordic for P.E.I.
division.
For the Tip
to Tip for Africa, a minimum of four of the patrol's 28 members will be on the
trail on a rotating basis.
"Our main
duty, of course, is to provide first aid services, so rescue or transport if we
have to, getting people who are hurt off the trail," Hately
says.
"The
secondary duty for this event is to act as shepherds or escorts. So we'll have a ski patrollers... (to) keep an eye on people, make sure
they're keeping pace and the people in the back don't feel like they're being
left behind and the people in the front are not zipping along."
Members of the
newly chartered Rotaract, a subsidiary of Rotary for
ages 18 to 30, have been busy writing letters to community groups and business
to inform them of Tip to Tip.
Illustration(s):
The
Journal-Pioneer
Ron Hately, left, of North Wiltshire, originally
from St. Eleanor's, and Gary Ogle of Kensington are two members of the Canadian
Ski Patrol who have traded their winter volunteer duties at Brookvale
Provincial Ski Park for summertime venues such as the Tip to Tip for Africa tour, where they will
provide first aid and shepherding services.
Category: News
Uniform subject(s): Sports and leisure
Length: Long, 1068 words
© 2005 The Journal-Pioneer (Summerside). All rights reserved.