Penang Charity Bike Ride 26/08/2012 : Pulau Tikus - George Town

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Penang Charity Ride

Pulau Tikus to George Town : 26th August 2012

Charity Leisure Ride from Scott Road Field to  George Town Heritage Zone,  Penang & back.
Distance covered : 14.8km.
Starting Time : 8:30am
Time Taken : approx. 1-1/2 hrs.

PRELUDE

Penang Charity Ride 26/08/12 Map  (click for Map Link)

During my ride with the Mini Velo group two days prior (see Penang Ride : 2012/08/24),  Alvin had mentioned to me that they would be having a Charity Ride in conjunction with the Penang Adventist Hospital ’88 Shining Heads’ Charity Go Bald and Food Fair event, and I would be most welcomed to join them.

I was a bit hesitant to commit myself as I had a planned ride from  Tanjong Tokong to Balik Pulau the day before and was worried that I would be too zonked out to attend this charity ride. But due to some unforeseen circumstances, that ride was canceled and I was left with a lot of pent up energy. So on that early Sunday morning I pedaled down to the Scott Road field to meet my new found friends and join them in the effort for charity.


 The Ride

I reached the Scott Road field and promptly registered myself, but in my haste, I had forgotten to bring my wallet and a kind Alvin allowed me to pay later. I was given a nice bright pink, souvenir T-shirt which I quickly and proudly donned.

The bikers were briefed on the safety aspects of the ride and advised not to overtake the leaders and to stay within the group. A couple of police outriders would be clearing traffic ahead of the cyclists and RELA members were also at hand to streamline the ride. The organizers themselves would have marshals along the way to help out. With that the bikers pushed their bikes to Scott Road to line up for the start.

And here we are bikers, male & female, old & young, from near & far - all with different bikes big & small, all united in support of charity - eager to start off, to show that we all care.

The route will take us from Scott Road>Bagan Jermal Road>Gurney Drive>Northam Road>Penang Heritage Zone>Magazine Road>McAlister Road>Anson Road>Perak Road>McAlister Road>Residency Road>Sepoy Lines Road>Western Road>Brown Road and back to Scott Road. But this isn't so much about riding but more on the event, so I won't go into details of the route but just to say that everyone shared a comradeship during the ride.

Going down Jalan Bagan Jermal.

Passing through Gurney Drive.

Along shady Northam Road.

Komtar towering above the riders

We rode from the suburban area down to the Heritage Zone and to the busy Central Business District of  Komtar.

At Lebuh McNair, adjacent to the 1st Avenure Mall, we stopped for a regrouping and a rest before continuing on.

These are the strong mountain bikers from Bukit Merajam, there were even a couple of tough ladies among them.

This was a short leisure ride, and soon we were back at the soothing greenery of the Scott Road field.

We were even given a Certificate of Appreciation as acknowledgement of our support.

While cooling off, I hung around and socialized with the people attending the event. Here I am with Penang State Assemblyman YB Teh Che Yu, an avid supporter of cycling. He cycles everywhere - to work, to market, etc.

And here with Thaitrackzone representative Meitharin; and Cycling Malaysia Executive Director, Joseph Seow.

Now that the ride is over, the charity stalls beckons. Time to generously buy some vouchers and do our bit too.

When I entered the giant tents, the Chief Minister was just about to give his speech. His eloquent speech captivated the audience.

After his speech, I requested for a picture to be taken with him. He is a humble person and sportingly posed with me. This is one picture that I will treasure, after all it's not everyday that the AhPek gets to pose with an "orang besar".

After his speech, the brave volunteers had their heads cut/shaved bald hence the term "Shining Heads". Of course they have got fair contributions to charity for their "sacrifice".

Even a young toddler did his part, wearing the same T-shirt and having his head shiny too. In future, when he is older, he will probably look back in posterity and be proud that he has contributed also.

The crowd in attendance would have made any Penangite proud; showing the rest that contrary to belief, Penangites have good hearts and are not stingy when it comes to giving to charity.

There were a food number of food stalls lining the perimeter of the huge tents, offering may different and delicious food to savor. With that many stalls, I will be running out of coupons soon - time to top up and buy more!

This lady volunteer has a unique quick way of mass-producing burgers; she deep fries the beef patties. You won't see a long queue here as they will be served pretty fast!

The Organizing Team of the Charity Ride.

My many thanks and appreciation to Ngo Thye Aun, Alvin Boo, Jaron Oon and the rest of the organizers of this ride for giving me this opportunity to do my part.

Bravo!

Some of the photos here are courtesy from Jaron Oon. Thanks buddy!

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