March 30, 2014
A three-day cycling marathon around the South Burnett to raise funds for epilepsy awareness finished on a high note on Saturday night, despite a last-minute change of venue.
Last week Michael Sanford, 25, went on an epic tour around the South Burnett with other cycle riders in an effort to raise $4000 for Epilepsy Action Australia.
Michael has suffered from epilepsy all his life.
And while medication now makes him free from seizures, he wanted to give something back to medical researchers who are working to make life better for everyone who has the condition.
From Monday to Wednesday, Michael and a team of supporters pedalled their way from Kingaroy to Kumbia, Maidenwell, Blackbutt, Nanango, Goomeri, Murgon and Wondai before heading back to Kingaroy, timing their arrival for Purple Day (March 26), the international day for epilepsy awareness.
Then on Saturday night, they capped off their fund-raising effort with a three-course gala dinner at the Kingaroy Town Common Hall.
Michael still isn’t sure exactly how much the combined ride and dinner has raised but on Saturday night he was certain the group had broken the $5000 barrier, and was hopeful that after the dinner they’d go even higher.
He said the cyclists were very lucky with the weather, too.
“On Wednesday we were rained on from Murgon to Wondai, where CROW-FM 90.7 had invited us into their studios for a bit of a talk,” Michael said.
“But the 30 minutes we spent there turned out to be enough for the storm front to pass over our heads.
“So when we left the studio we chased a patch of sun all the way back to Kingaroy, and just managed to avoid being saturated.”
The gala dinner planned for Saturday evening to cap off the group’s efforts had originally been scheduled for Kingaroy Town Hall.
But the same day the cyclists returned to Kingaroy, they found the venue was unavailable because of work being undertaken on the Town Hall’s kitchens.
So the dinner’s location was quickly changed to the Town Common Hall.
Guests on the night dressed in purple to show their support for epilepsy awareness, and enjoyed a three-course meal and live music by local singer Lloyd Back.
There was also a trivia competition, a silent auction, and family portraits taken by Denise Keelan Photography
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