Cyclists raising money for injured

Press, 15 February 1989, Page 32

Cyclists raising money for injured

Twelve traffic officers from Christchurch will be cycling from Bluff to Wellington in mid-March to raise money for the victims of head injuries. They and another group from the North Island, cycling from Cape Reinga to Hamilton, hope to raise $500,000. The Christchurch groups’ organiser, Traffic Officer Bevan Seal, of the Ministry of Transport, said as well as raising funds the groups would be drawing attention to the problems faced by head injury victims and their families.

The Christchurch group will leave Bluff on March 6 and expects to arrive in Wellington on March 18. A cheque of the money raised would be handed

over to the New Zealand Head Injury Society at a ceremony in Wellington. The groups would be seeking contributions in street appeals and from schools in the towns the cyclists passed through, he said. “About 1000 people a year in Christchurch suffer head injuries in accidents and up to 250 of those victims suffer serious injury,” he said. It was not just the victims who had problems coping, it was also their families, friends and relatives, he said.

“It is a big step for these people when they go back to their families. They often cannot even walk or talk properly,” he said.