How far would you go to raise money for a worthy cause? For a group of Old Boys of St .Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia the distance does not count. ‘Ride for Ceylon’, formerly known as Riders for Charity began in 2017 as a sponsored charity bicycle ride through Sri Lanka. Their collective efforts were aimed at rebuilding the communities that were devastated by the conflict, especially the Green Memorial Hospital in Manipay. 

In the past, riders from many countries across the world including Britain, Romania, Australia, Canada and Sri Lanka cycled from Colombo to Jaffna, to raise awareness and funds for the hospital. 

Ride for Ceylon (R4C) is part of the British-based charity, ‘Friends of Manipay Hospital’, aiming to raise funds through an annual charity bike ride for the reconstruction and renovation of the Green Memorial Hospital in Jaffna. Though its primary target is to see this hospital fully functional and providing medical healthcare and expertise of the highest calibre, R4C intends to support the nation as a whole.

A call to action

Now considered one of the best and biggest charity rides in South Asia, the R4C February 2020 bike ride was endorsed and flagged off by Minister Chamal Rajapaksa. Cyclists peddle 481 kilometres every year to raise funds through sponsorship and also awareness of the hospital’s needs.
Seeing the need of many during the pandemic, the charity decided that urgent action was necessary. R4C swiftly coordinated a group of volunteers and with the help of the Sri Lankan Police orchestrated a relief package. The group distributed more than 7,000 ration packs of food, along with a donation of beverages at security checkpoints in and around Colombo. When Cyclone Burevi struck the northern part of the island, R4C once again played its part by providing water and cooked meals to those affected.

The charity is now well established and supported by its Brand Ambassadors - former Sri Lankan cricketer Russell Arnold, England’s Rugby 7 player Dan Norton and American endurance rider Jen Orr.

This year, the Ride will focus on raising funds to redevelop the hospital’s historic Mission House into a ground-breaking cancer care and research facility, named Hope Beyond Cancer. Nearly 60 cyclists from around the world will take part in the ride, each with a desire to see this Island Nation flourish on the global front. The popularity and significance of this ride is highlighted by the overwhelming numbers registering for a maximum of 60 places. Once again, the ride has been oversubscribed.

According to Chief Ride Organiser Nishantha Abeyawardena, though the team has been compelled to postpone the 2021 ride due to COVID-19, from February 28 to 31 to July, the organisers are still confident that it will go ahead. The ride captain, Kumar Kalyanakumar, from City Tatts in Sydney, is also optimistic that there will be a good turnout of Australian riders this year granted, that there are no international restrictions.

The ride has proved to be an annual success thanks to the planning and organizing of many behind the scenes. The organizers note that the Sri Lanka Police have been very supportive in organizing the charity ride over the years. In particular, the organizers would like to mention Marcelo Veloz and City Tatts in Australia for their constant support and encouragement, the Sri Lankan riders for their hard work and all the cyclists worldwide, who give up their time and fly to Sri Lanka to raise funds for the cause and the donors and sponsors whose contributions spearhead and finance the project. Behind it all, is the sure-footed support of Trustees Dr. Jayantha Arnold and Mr. Anandan Arnold.  The event is organized by Nishantha Abeywardena, Shamil Appathurai, Dulanganie Jayatilake, Kumar Kalyanakumar, Sriomal De Silva, Jega Periasamy, Nishan Wickramaratna, Upekshi Perera and co-founder David Rasiah. 

For more information please visit www.ride4ceylon.com