USD 89,090 (487 Bikes) raised for Team Dimension Data’s Chosen Charity

by Shrutee K/DNS

487 lives changed thanks to Qhubeka celebrity bike charity auction and raffle 

Mumbai, India – 29 January 2019 — Dimension Data, the official technology partner of the Tour de France, has auctioned all 22 of its fleet of Team Dimension Data Cervelo S5 bikes in an online auction and internal raffle that raised USD 89,090 for Team Dimension Data’s chosen charity Qhubeka. This equates to 487 bicycles that will be distributed in South Africa’s rural communities, helping to change the lives of schoolchildren in the region forever.

Thanks to a large-scale digital campaign, members of the public were invited to bid on a piece of cycling history including bikes ridden by Mark Cavendish, Bernie Eisel, Serge Pauwels and Edvald Boasson Hagen. From the Tour Down Under to the Tour de France, these bicycles have been part of some special moments of greatness. The bikes are currently being shipped to their new owners who come from all corners of the globe, from Japan to Guatemala, from Belgium to the USA.

Qhubeka is a Nguni word that means ‘to carry on’, ’to progress’, ’to move forward’. In Africa’s rural communities, people are often forced to walk long distances to access basic services like healthcare, schools, and shops. In fact, 500,000 children walk over 10km or for over 60 minutes to school every day. In these communities, bicycles can change lives, Nic Dlamini and Felencia de Kock are testament to this. Qhubeka mobilises people by providing them with bicycles in exchange for work done to improve communities, the environment, or academic results. Schools in these communities have reported a 59% improvement in the academic results of children who ride a bicycle to school.

“These 487 bicycles will be distributed to school children in a Qhubeka scholar mobility programme which will significantly boost their chances of improving their grades,” said Qhubeka Founder, Anthony Fitzhenry. “We are deeply appreciative and grateful for the generosity of the sales of the 22 bicycles and the fundraising campaign from Dimension Data’s side.”

Scott Gibson, Group Executive, Digital Business Solutions at Dimension Data said, “We are extremely proud to have raised such a large sum of money for Qhubeka, a charity that makes a huge difference to people in South Africa. These 487 Qhubeka bikes will have a significant impact on so many lives. In fact, in the last two weeks, we’ve exceeded our annual fundraising target for Qhubeka, which will also help the charity to achieve its goal of distributing 100,000 bicycles by 2020.”