Charity Bike 'n' Blade is back - with a new mission

"Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day."
-- Dylan Thomas

With Singapore's aging population, the need for elderly care centres grows more acute by the day. St Luke’s Eldercare Centre at Serangoon, started by St Luke’s Hospital, is one such centre with an important mission: enhance the social, psychological and physical well-being of seniors and their quality of life through meaningful day-care services.

But the bulk of the recurring operating cost of the centre comes only from kind public donations. And it needs to raise $200,000 yearly to keep its operations going.

St Luke’s Eldercare Centre is this year's beneficiary of Charity Bike 'n' Blade, our humble fundraising outfit which gratifyingly has seen amazing support from a growing list of companies and individuals in Singapore since the event took shape five years ago.

Remarkably, we raised over $200,000 for Salvation Army's Peace Haven Nursing Home last year under intense belt-tightening economic pressure, thanks to generous support from companies like Microsoft, Accenture, Oracle, Symantec, StarHub, Software AG, Equinix, Hewlett-Packard and more. It is a heartening testament that we do indeed live in a society that cares and shares.

Come first week of September, 70 cycling enthusiasts will once again set out for the Malaysian town of Mersing and back for a good cause. The 320km ride is a grueling one, and past editions have humbled even our fittest riders.

But pain will all be worth it, and with your generous support, the ride can change lives and help bring cheer and comfort to our society's less privileged.

We look forward to your support. Like previous years, we have put together a comprehensive range of sponsorship packages for our corporate donors. And for cycling fans who wish to raise money and challenge yourself on the ride - we love to hear from you too.

WHEN: 4-5 SEPTEMBER 2010

WHERE: SINGAPORE-MERSING-SINGAPORE

TO RIDE: 320 KM

TO RAISE: $150,000

IN AID OF: ST. LUKE'S ELDERCARE LTD (SERANGOON CENTRE)