GRAAFF-REINET | ABERDEEN NEWS — A group of cyclists riding mountain bikes spent the recent long weekend in the area raising funds for the Bible Society of South Africa.
The ten cyclists, along with a support team of four, drove to Graaff-Reinet from Port Elizabeth, where they are based, and set off for Aberdeen on Thursday morning.
Instead of braving the traffic on the main tarred route, the group travelled along the back roads on gravel, via Marais siding, arriving in Aberdeen late in the afternoon. They spent the night at Aberdeen Self Catering and were very grateful to host Jurgens Strydom for offering a reduced rate.
On Friday they rode to Klipplaat, where they stayed at the hotel, and from there to Steytlerville on Saturday.
Dominee Ben Fourie, the Regional Head of the Bible Society in the Eastern Cape, was one of the cyclists. Ds Fourie conducted the service at the Dutch Reformed Church in Steytlerville on Sunday morning, before the riders headed back to Port Elizabeth.
Each rider on the tour had to raise a minimum of R2 000 in sponsorship, and pay their own expenses for accommodation and food. The funds raised will, therefore, exceed R20 000, once donations collected and promised along the way have been added in.
This money will be put towards the Society’s project to provide Bibles to grade seven learners in underprivileged schools in the province.
Since the beginning of its financial year last November, the Bible Society has distributed Bibles to 2640 children, at a cost of R55 per Bible - almost R150 000 in total has been used just to pay for the Bibles, so all funds raised are very gratefully received.
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