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