Smiles all round after marathon effort

The Beacy Bike Club's inaugural charity ride was a success.

By Kyra Gillespie

The Beacy Bike Club geared up over the weekend for their inaugural charity ride Around The Other Bay (ATOB), raising thousands of dollars to help a struggling young family.
The 179km journey, initiated by keen weekend cyclists Joe Terlato and Gary Weston, saw 71 riders brave the heat and the wind on Sunday 29 October.
The first leg of the course started from Beaconsfield through to Hastings for a gourmet breakfast; next taking the ferry from Crib Point to Cowes, back through to Woolamai, Glen Forbes, Bayles, Pakenham and finishing back in Beaconsfield for a well-earned meal and drink.
A fleet of volunteers and the support of friends and family ensured that all riders made it to the finish line safely on the day with a smile on their face.
The club raised $5626, all of which will go towards a father and his two young kids who are struggling to make ends meet after the tragic murder of one of his girls at the hands of his ex-wife.
The woman, who cannot be named due to a court-imposed suppression order, walked free from court in 2014 after killing one baby daughter and leaving the other severely disabled.
The baby girl who survived suffered permanent brain damage and has cerebral palsy.
Now, five years on from the horrific incident, the father of the remaining disabled twin daughter and now seven-year-old son is finding it difficult to cope with the demands of being a single parent.
Being a full-time disability carer means that he cannot work, and the small amount of Centrelink support he gets is not sufficient to support his family.
He hopes to put the money towards fixing the disability-friendly family car.
“If they can enjoy just being a family, have a little treat, just be kids, without some financial pressure for a while then mission accomplished,” event organiser Joe Terlato said.
“One day when they are old enough they will understand how wonderful this community has been towards them and I’m so proud to have been a part of it.
“We wish to pass on many thanks to Berwick Jaguar Land Rover, Life of Bikes, Platinum Pools, Stony Point Caravan Park, Wildlife Coast Cruises Ferry, Fran-tastic Personal Training. MyoMAX and Khan’s Hospitality Services for all their support on the day.”
To make a donation to the ATOB account: BSB: 083166, Account No: 663290862.