In Gear | Rotary in Southern New Zealand Issue 2 | Page 24
Waimate launches major
multi-sport challenge
Inspired by the efforts of other Rotarians within
District 9980, the Rotary Club of Waimate is putting the
pedal to metal with a major new multisport event – the “Whitehorse Big Easy”
– that’s designed to bring the community
together, boost the local economy,
encourage fitness and raise some funds
for good to boot.
The club’s Community Services director,
Ryan Luckman, says the Big Easy, which
is set down for April 9, will double as
both the official launch for Waimate’s
new shared cycling, running and walking
trail on Whitehorse Hill, and a Rotary
fundraiser.
“As a club, we’ve financially supported the trail’s
development, and we think combining a launch and
a high-interest sporting event – which we
hope will become an annual fixture – is a
perfect fit for our club, and also sits really
well with Rotary’s wider aims in terms of
community support and promoting health.
Ryan Luckman
The new development sits by the famous concrete
horse that overlooks the township and is the work of
Waimate’s Whitehorse Mountainbike Club, headed
by local Rotarian, and former club president, Ken
Buckingham.
“Ken and the mountainbike club have done a fantastic
job getting these new tracks looking amazing, and
they’re now ready to let the world know about them,”
Ryan says.
“Putting the effort into developing a key
event we can hold each year seemed
like a good way to both raise money for
Rotary’s causes and shine the spotlight
on what is a fantastic new community
facility that’ll be great for Waimate and a
drawcard for visitors, too.”
The event’s been carefully planned to appeal to a wide
audience – there’s a cycle section where competitors
can take on an intermediate and advanced
mountainbiking course, a run-walk event, or a team
competition: ‘The Whitehorse Challenge’.
‘The Whitehorse Challenge’, Ryan says, draws directly
on ideas and support from other Rotarians.
In August’s edition of In Gear, Rotary Club of Dunedin
Central member and District 9980 Public Image chair
Vicki Moseley shared her experiences taking a cycling
RUN | WALK | BIKE Sunday April 9, 2017, Waimate, NZ.
Page 24 | In Gear - Rotary in southern New Zealand - District 9980 | www.rotarydistrict9980.org