Cycle event to raise $200,000

Michael Phillips and his Phillips Promotions have again joined forces with the Trinidad and Tobago Association of Insurance and Financial Advisers (TTAIFA) and the Caribbean Association of Insurance and Financial Advisers (CARAIFA) to stage their second annual charity Bike and Breakfast ride at King George V Park, St Clair on October 30 from 7 am.

A number of this country’s top cyclists will be out, not only to pledge their support for the event, but to contest the main 25-lap event around King George V Park.

Among the top cyclists are Chris Gill, Adam and Joshua Alexander, Stephen Mangroo and Guy Costa among many others. Participants will ride for two hours in an Open event while there will also be other categories for Juniors, Veterans and Tinymites.

President of TTAIFA, Cecil Fredericks, told a small gathering at the bpTT building, Queen’s Park Savannah West that his association will be hoping to raise $200,000 on the day planned for the entire family.

He pointed out that the regional association has targetted $500,000 over the next three years. Fredericks said all proceeds of the event will go toward TTAIFA and the Renal Centre of Trinidad and Tobago.

The event will be used to heighten the awareness of the disease as well as to assist in its treatment and provide dialysis for those who have been diagnosed with the deadly disease.

Senior participants are required to pay $100 and receive a delicious breakfast while juniors are required to fork out $50 ahead of the day’s racing.

People without bikes are also being urged to come out in support of the event as there will also be breakfast on sale at a cost of $20.

Fans can also come out and ride with some of the country’s top cyclists, as well as take the time to get to know their local cycling heroes.

Lorraine Ragbir who has undergone surgery after being diagnosed with kidney failure recently, told the gathering that those who are diagnosed with the disease usually go through a dark period in their lives but said it should not be the end of the road for them.

In relating her experience, Ragbir said she had been given three options when diagnosed, and that was to die, face dialysis and or get a transplant.

She said further, that even after she took the transplant she had to pay $6,000 each month for treatment and much more for medication. Ragbir also revealed she had to pay $85,000 to have her surgery done, before her treatment started.

She noted that a lot more needs to be done for renal failure patients and health facilities in Trinidad and Tobago, since there are hardly any provision in Trinidad and Tobago to deal with kidney failure. This Ragbir said is in addition to the fact that there are also limited opportunies for surgery.