It was a great pleasure today Tuesday 9th April, that we inducted Michael Smith (on the right) as a member of Rotary@1100, Michael had been proposed by Adrian Brewer (on the left) from the Roll out the Barrel project.
Michael will be our E-Rotarian on the Road….What are we attempting?
25,000 miles on a Yamaha Tenere XT660Z from Bristol UK (end of May) to Halifax, Nova Scotia, across Canada via Quebec, Toronto, Winnipeg to Vancouver THEN left into the United States and down to Mexico City. From there Central America to Panama, across the canal by ketch to Columbia and on some of the World’s most hazardous and dangerous roads through Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile to Tierra del Fuego arriving on or about 20th November 2013. Then a ride from there to Buenos Aires and fly back home.
That’s the task for Michael and his motorbike rider partner, our task is to support his ride through Social Networks and help him raise funds for the charity Roll out the Barrel.
Michael says ‘we fully expect to witness hardship and deprivation beyond our comprehension in Central and South America and I decided to support a dynamic and growing organisation providing a simple, achievable solution to the problem of fresh water harvesting. ROTB provides manageable water collecting, Rotary Barrels for huge numbers of people who do not enjoy the clean water reticulation that we take for granted. A supply of clean portable water is one of the simplest facilities that prevents disease and millions of unnecessary deaths throughout the world each year, enabling people to enjoy good health and reduced mortality…. it is their undeniable right. We’d like to help raise £25,000 for ROTB from this journey.’
Roll Out the Barrel changes lives, with your help and Michael’s efforts we can all make a real and significant difference…..
Can we get schools near where we live to be enthused and help with the project?
What other ideas have you about gaining people’s E-wareness for Roll Out the Barrel and Michael’s journey across America?
Wow!! Just fantastic! A great cause and an exciting journey! Since this ride goes through Canada I was wondering if we should ask the Rotary eClub of Canada if they would like to help with promotion of this event. We could also put a write up in all the Canadian online newspapers classifieds (there are many that are free). Also I imagine Michael and his rider partner will need to make stops along the way for food, rest etc… we could track the Rotary Clubs that are on the motorcycle path and ask for their support whether in the way of donations, accommodations, meals, promotion of the ride……etc….
Thanks for this Debbie, your help across the pond for this project is going to crucial, your suggestions about Canada is spot on, we will need to find ways of doing this right across America, I’m hoping Social Networks can help towards this. In Halifax Nova Scotia, where it will all start I know the DGE Stella Paul who has put us in touch with E.Clarke Paynter, who is a member of her Rotary Club (I’ve met him personally as well on our visit last year). He is a member of the Rotarians Motorbike Fellowship and has offered to help with the send off, I’ll suggest him as a friend on Facebook. I’ve also suggested Adrain as a friend on Facebook, he is a Trustee for the Roll Out the Barrel Project and a Rotarian in the Isle of Wight, he has all the plans and routes for the ride and sponsor forms.
I am fascinated by this Michael.
It will be a terrific adventure and I am quite jealous.
Good luck with the final leg of the journey ! I drove to Tierra del Fuego in 1994. There are very few roads in southern Chile so I wonder if you will end up taking the boat along the Pacific Coast. There is not a lot to see there at the Fin del Mundo.