National News
Mothers Day women’s cycling race for a cause planned on Tortola
By Dean Greenaway
May 9, 2008, 10:46

53 Women start last year's event. Photo by Michel Penn.

TORTOLA—Nature’s Little Secrets Cycling Club will host its second annual Mother’s Day women’s race for a cause at 3 p.m. on Sunday. The club is using the event to raise funds for breast cancer and have partnered with Eureka Medical Clinic to help defray the cost of mammograms, particularly for women who cannot afford them or don’t have medical insurance. “That’s basically what the funds raised will go towards,” said club president Maria Vieira. “This year we’re hoping it’s going to be bigger and better. Last year we had 57 women taking part and this year we are hoping to have at least 100.”

Compared to last year’s inaugural event, Vieira they have done a lot of public relations work and several partners have come on board, including OGIER, who is sponsoring all the pink T-shirts for race participants and Blossoms will provide all the flowers. Following last year’s event, she said they had a number of companies coming forward asking how they can contribute towards the breast cancer fund.
“This race is primarily to promote breast cancer in the BVI. So, we’ve had a lot of companies including the registered agents donating toward the cause as well,” she noted. “I think with all of that and the good work of the media in helping us to promote it, it has brought more awareness to the event and that’s why we think it’s going to be bigger and better this year.”

Sunday’s event begins with a procession from the Government’s Central Administration Complex to the Prospect Reef Roundabout, then to the Port Purcell Roundabout and return. The procession will be followed by a 2-lap race for social riders while elite cyclists will do five laps. Registration starts at 2 p.m. in the Palm Grove Park and the registration fee is $10 per person. Certificates of participation and flowers will be presented to all participants.


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