Man on a Mission Riding for Child Cancer   24 Mar 2011

Alan Thoreson

Hamilton's Bonneville Motorcycle Salt Racer and Drag Racer, Alan Thoresen, joins a different type of ride this Saturday.

Instead of blasting down the Drag Strip at some 150mph (250kph) or across the Bonneville Salt Flats at around 200mph (320+kph) he will be accompanying Terrena Curry the organiser of the Central Plateau Scooter Challenge along around 100 scooters in a Fund Raising Ride for Child Cancer.

The Central Plateau Scooter Challenge is an endurance ride from Wanganui to Taupo, crossing the summit of the Rangipo Desert (1074m), a journey of over 260kms to raise money for the Child Cancer Foundation.

The 100 riders have been raising donations and Sponsorship which will go to the Child Cancer Foundation.

The Scooter Riders come from all over New Zealand and must have a scooter capable of at least 50kph. - At these Speeds it will a challenge in its self for Alan Thoresen riding his Powerful Kawasaki ZX-14 Black Thunder II riding the some 260mks with the 100 Scooters.

Thoresen advises he looks forward to the Challenge and said more should get involved in raising funds for this great cause.

The Central Plateau Scooter Challenge was inspired by the Tranz Alpine Scooter Safari created by Jayne and Mike Rattray that started in 2009. Their idea to ride coast to coast, Christchurch to Hokitika as a fundraiser was born in support of Mike's friend and colleague at Air NZ Engineering who had been diagnosed with Bowel Cancer. Their first ride saw 32 riders make the maiden voyage, raising more than $14,000 in donations for the Cancer Society. In May 2010, 230+ Scooters conquered the Alps raising a staggering $125,000. Their next ride is scheduled for 2012.

In 2010 Terena Currey saw the wonderful effort and results that the Rattray's had with their safari, and rang to gain their support and approval for a North Island Scooter Challenge....and so the Central Plateau Scooter Challenge was born.

Please understand, the Central Plateau Scooter Challenge is not for the faint hearted!. This event is not a race. It is designed to be one of the longest, highest, and most challenging tests of endurance on a city scooter to raise money and awareness for the children who are cancer sufferers.

We're doing this to show our support for the hardship those children living with cancer go through during their treatment - the Challenge is nothing compared to that!

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