‘Around the Pearl 2014’ launches logo and website in preparation for epic bicycle tour of Sri Lanka

The official ‘Around the Pearl’’ logo and website were launched in preparation for the ten day bicycle tour of Sri Lanka being conducted by 14 business professionals, in an effort to raise funds for Cerebral Palsy.

From the 10th to the 20th of April, a dynamic group of 14 business leaders will set out from Colombo on a 10 day challenge: a 1400km bicycle ride around Sri Lanka’s beautiful coast. ‘Around the Pearl’ is an initiative by ‘Wheels for Wheels’ that through the cycle ride, aims to raise public support for Cerebral Palsy (CP) whilst generating funds for at least 1000 wheelchairs for children with CP. The ‘Around the Pearl’ initiative is being conducted in partnership with the Cerebral Palsy Lanka Foundation (CPLF) and WrooM – a project focused on promoting cycling in Sri Lanka as an alternative transport mode and increasing awareness of public road safety rules.

The cyclists will travel the perimeter of the entire island and their journey will take them from the city of Colombo to Galle, Negombo, Mirissa, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Kilinochi, Jaffna, Vavuniya, Anuradhapura and onwards. During the course of the journey, members of the public will be able to follow the cyclists and pledge donations by logging on to www.aroundthepearl.lk.

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is the term used for a group of non-progressive disorders of movement and posture caused by abnormal development of, or damage to, motor control centers of the brain. CP is a common physical disability that affects many children and is caused by events before, during, or after birth. In Sri Lanka, CP remains a significant health problem and many parents are unable to provide adequate care for children with CP.  Due to the social stigma of having a differently-abled child, many parents in Sri Lanka, keep their children out of the public eye. Additionally the lack of funds prevent parents from acquiring even a wheelchair which is a simple tool that can greatly improve the life of a child with CP.   During the ‘Around the Pearl’ journey, the team hopes to not only dissolve the stigma around Cerebral Palsy in Sri Lanka but to raise much needed awareness and funds to help these children.

Commenting on the importance of the ‘Around the Pearl’ journey, Yasas Hewage, one of the cyclists from the group stated, “Around the Pearl is an initiative that I hope will help raise awareness and much needed funds for Cerebral Palsy whilst educating the public on the importance of road safety along the way. At each of the locations we stop at, we plan to interact with local communities and talk to them about Cerebral Palsy and create some awareness about the disorder. Additionally at each stop, a WrooM road safety session will be conducted to not only share cycling and motorist road safety rules with various communities but also to promote cycling as a sustainable transport mode.”

Calling on the public for their support, Ajith Fernando, who is also part of the ‘Around the Pearl’ journey stated, “The group of riders consisting of 14 business professionals have been preparing for the challenges of cycling around the country for months and we are looking forward to successfully completing the ride in aid of raising funds for Cerebral Palsy. We would like to request for individuals and businesses to follow our journey and help us achieve our objective of raising funds for 1000 wheelchairs in order to improve the lives of many Sri Lankan children who are suffering with Cerebral Palsy.  There are so many families in Sri Lanka who have a child with Cerebral Palsy and a simple wheelchair can really assist them in providing their child with a better quality of life.”

To follow the ‘Around the Pearl’ journey and pledge your support, please log in to www.aroundthepearl.lk.