Terminally Ill Man Begins Intrepid Scooter Ride

Terminally Ill Man Begins Intrepid Scooter Ride for Blood Cancer Research

A terminally ill man given just months to live will ride his scooter more than 2500 kilometres around the South Island to raise money for Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand.

Wayne Biggs, 43, began his ‘Tiny Wheels For A Giant Cause’ yesterday – a week-long round trip from his home in Broad Bay, Dunedin to the top of the South Island to Bluff – crossing many roads designed for 4WD vehicles.

The father of two (Oli, 6, and Jasper, 2) planned the fundraising trip as a way of acknowledging the immense support he and his family have received since Wayne was diagnosed with lymphoma in late February 2014.

“Over the past 10 months we have been incredibly lucky to have the support of our family and friends, the haematology team at Dunedin Hospital and the team from Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand,” says Mr Biggs.

“This is a chance for me to acknowledge that support, give something back that will hopefully benefit other people facing this disease – and get the chance to take a spin around my South Island one more time.”

Biggs – known to his friends as ‘Biggo’ – will ride his orange Vespa GTS300 alongside his friend and support crew, Michael Huddleston, to Picton through Dansey’s Pass and Molesworth Station, before crossing to the West Coast through his hometown Ngatimoti, in the Motueka Valley.

The pair will then ride down the West Coast to Central Otago where they plan to ride New Zealand’s highest road, outside Bannockburn, and around the racetrack at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell. From Central Otago, they will ride to Te Anau, crossing on the TSS Earnslaw over Lake Wakatipu and riding across Walter Peak Station, then on to Invercargill and Bluff, riding the renowned Oreti Beach (made famous by Burt Munro) before travelling home to Dunedin through the Caitlins.

Donations of support for ‘Tiny Wheels’ can be made to Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand through the fundraising page:http://www.leukaemia.org.nz/view_event_profile/2713 and updates on the ride can be found on The Biggo Trust’s Facebook page:facebook.com/thebiggotrust.

ENDS

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