MORE than 80 cyclists will be the first to experience the stunning scenery of Yarrabah in the revitalised Alive Pharmacy Warehouse Ride for Isabel this Sunday (July 25).
For the first time, the event has come under the banner of the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation with funds raised to support neonatal care in Far North Queensland.
The ride was instigated in 2010 by Speaker of the Queensland Parliament and Mulgrave MP Curtis Pitt and wife Kerry, after their daughter Isabel was stillborn at 41 weeks in 2008.
In 2021, the ride also has been embraced by the Tour of the Tropics cycling event, with a 120km Gran Fondo leg available for those who choose to do so.
Mr Pitt and Tour of the Tropics chairman Nick Loukas have their jerseys and are limbering up for the event this Sunday.
“Our family is closely connected to Yarrabah so I am thrilled to see the Alive Pharmacy Warehouse Ride for Isabel starting in Yarrabah,” Mr Pitt said.
“Many people who have lived in Cairns their whole lives may not have seen Yarrabah’s stunning scenery so we are delighted the ride is coming here,” he said. “Losing a child is one of the most difficult tragedies a person can experience and my wife Kerry and I are pleased that we can support local neonatal services.”
Mr Loukas, a keen cyclist, said he was excited to work with all stakeholders, including Yarrabah Shire Council to showcase the stunning region.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be working with the Yarrabah Shire Council, Mr Pitt and the Hospital Foundation which brings so many organisations together.
“The great thing about this event is that it’s so inclusive – for the racers there is the Gran Fondo and for the families and regular Sunday riders, there’s a section for them too. It’s a stunning location and we are very honoured to be able to share this with the wider community,” Mr Loukas said.
Further details are available at www.rideforisabel.org.au.
Photo: Alive Pharmacy Warehouse's Georgina Twomey, Foundation Fundraising and Marketing Manager Glenys Duncombe, Curtis Pitt MP and Tour of the Tropics chairman Nick Loukas.
