Sport
24 February, 2023
Cairns to Karumba Bike Ride secures major sponsor for 26th year
THE 26th annual Cairns to Karumba Bike Ride is being sponsored by Cardzilla for the fourth year with added support from Smartech Business Systems.
Ride Coordinator Helena McInnes said the contribution and sponsorship to the ongoing growth of the event ensured that the Cairns to Karumba Bike Ride continued to positively impact the education of kids in remote regions who needed access distance education.
The event is a 780km-long bucket list bike ride across the top of Australia.
The multi-day event has many unique aspects, including being predominantly volunteer-based.
Cardzilla co-owner Steve Bates said the organisation was proud to step up as a sponsor for 2023.
“We are very proud to be the major sponsors of the Cardzilla Cairns to Karumba Bike Ride 2023, with the support of Smartech Business Systems and to continue to support this amazing cause,” Mr Bates said.
“Over the years of being involved with this event, we have seen the gratitude first-hand of the families that are the recipients of the fundraising and the impact it has on the education of their children that rely on distance education,” he said.
Initially called the Coast to Coast Bike Ride, it began through the Cairns School of Distance Education P&C Association in 1997 to originally address the need to build a multi-purpose activity centre for the school site in Cairns.
Early in the life of the event the decision was made to spread the benefits of funds raised to include many communities and organisations across the North Queensland region.
Today beneficiaries include Cairns School of Distance Education, primary schools, P&Cs – including Mt Garnet, Mt Surprise, Georgetown, Croydon, Normanton and Karumba - child care centres, sports associations and more.
The funds from the ride have supported the introduction of telephone bridging into schools and stations and a much improved and very reliable communication system for students to undertake classes.
Smartech Business Systems chief executive Vincent Nair said as a sponsor, they wanted to support the community.
“Smartech has partnered with Cardzilla, one of our larger clients, as we believe the opportunity to give back to the community, especially in the development of children,” he said.
“It’s an important cause, and we could see the enthusiasm the guys from Cardzilla had for the ride and cause. We wish you all the best.” Ms McInnes said they were excited to return once more for a great cause.
“It is wonderful to have the support of the business community to ensure the continuity of this charity event,” she said.
“No matter where you live, access to quality education should always be a priority for everyone.
“We are very excited and grateful to have Cardzilla as our major sponsor for this year’s event.”
The seven-day charity bike ride involves more than 250 participants each year. Registrations are now open, and riders have until May 31, 2023, to secure their place in the event.
The ride dates are from June 24-30, and riders who register before May 1 will be guaranteed their preferred jersey size.
