A group of 21 Australian cyclists are circumnavigating the South Island, to raise money for ‘Live for Lily’ a child cancer charity born out of a father’s grief.
Aaron Hester lost his 9-year-old daughter Lily to a rare liver cancer in 2014, and through charity has raised over $1.7 million dollars to be used in the pursuit of a cure for Child Cancer. They’ve raised the money during six cycle tours across Australia.
The New Zealand ride is the seventh the group has done.
“It’s turned into a passion, but deep down and deep-seated in that is always Lily in my mind and why we do it and with our main cause being to find a cure for childhood cancer,” Hester said.
His 16-year-old son Ollie, who was just 8 when his sister died, is along for the ride too.
“I reckon this makes it a lot easier, knowing you’re helping other kids as well, not going through what she had to go through,” he said.
Live for Lily has partnered with the Murdoch Children's Research Institute to fund research into a common and incurable brain tumour that targets children.
It’s the bike rides that have allowed this to happen.
“The community that’s been built on the back of losing Lily it’s probably about the only real positive that's come out of so many negatives, so I love it,” Hester said.
The group heads to Hanmer tonight and will head for the West Coast tomorrow, finishing the 1000km tour in Queenstown.
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