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News
Ride raising money and awareness to save sight
Riders from across Gippsland have so far pedalled their way to raising more than $28,000 towards CERA’s research into eye diseases – and there’s still time to support the cause.
The 30th anniversary Lions Ride for Sight took place on Saturday March 23 and Sunday March 24 with a 170-kilometre round trip from the High Street Community Hub in Moe to Cowwarr and back.
Ride for Sight Chair Paul Drinkwater, from the Lions Club of Moe, says the 2024 Ride was one of the friendliest he’s seen, with lots of community support.
“What a ride! It went perfectly. It was a great year. We had marvellous weather for the weekend,” Paul says.
“There was plenty of fun and frivolity on the ride, and I would really like to thank the people of Cowwarr, who came out on Sunday morning and cooked us breakfast. We really appreciated it.”
The Lions Clubs of Bairnsdale, Heyfield, Wellington/Latrobe in Toongabbie and Moe all provided support for the Ride.
“I would especially like to thank the Lions Club of Moe for their enormous support, all the volunteers who made this Ride possible and everyone who has supported us with donations,” says Paul.
“And I would like to thank all of the Lions of district V3 (Gippsland) for giving me the opportunity to do this ride.”
Sharing insights: Associate Professor Guei-Sheung (Rick) Liu speaks to the riders.
Supporting vital research
The night before the Ride, participants and crew gathered to hear CERA’s Head of Genetic Engineering Research, Associate Professor Guei-Sheung (Rick) Liu, discuss his team’s research into developing a gene therapy that could be delivered via an eye drop.
The eye drop could potentially be a future replacement for regular eye injections in conditions, such as diabetic retinopathy and wet age-related macular degeneration.
“It was a privilege and a pleasure to share insights into our research with the people who are working hard to help support it,” he says.
The Lions Ride for Sight fundraising effort is not over yet. Organisers are still welcoming donations through the Ride for Sight Raisely page, which will remain open until the end of April.
Media enquiries: Jamie Duncan, Ride for Sight Media Coordinator – 0417 377 617, JDwritesalot@gmail.com
Still time to support the Ride
The Lions fundraising effort is not over yet. You can support the four-week Ride with a Difference Challenge, where riders nominate a distance of their choice in their local area to raise funds for our vision research.