An annual bike tour destined for amateur cyclists and aiming to raise money for a palliative care network will start from Chisinau in mid-June. Hospices of Hope Moldova is challenging participants to ride more than 700 kilometers in 5 days, along a route that features two mountain passes in the Romanian Carpathians, and raise a target amount of 500 euros in the process.
According to a press release from the charity organization, like in the previous three editions, all the proceeds of the Hospice Bike Tour 2019 will go to provide relief and care to people suffering from life-limiting illnesses in Moldova’s provinces.
The tour starts on June 14 in Chisinau and ends in the Romanian city of Brasov five days later. Instead of taking the shortest path, the cyclists will go northwest, via Iasi, to Gura Humorului in the historical region Bukovina, before turning south to Lake Izvorul Muntelui and Miercurea Ciuc. The trek will take the riders through breathtaking places like Transrarău, Romania’s third finest alpine road, and the famous Bicaz Gorge.
“I am proud to have reached this (fourth) edition of #HospiceBikeTour – a great challenge for our team and the participants. This year, too, amateur cyclists will embark on an picturesque journey through Moldova and Romania. What may seem like an active vacation is in fact a hope for a life with dignity and without pain for people suffering from incurable illnesses in Moldova’s provinces. I urge all cycling enthusiasts to accept the #HospiceBikeTour2019 challenge, and I encourage all those who cannot participate to help us bring hope into our patients’ lives by making a small donation”, said Raluca Muntean, Hospices of Hope country manager for Moldova and Albania.
In Moldova, the network consists of five mobile, multidisciplinary teams that provide medical and social at-home care for sufferers in Soroca, Ocnița, Orhei, Taraclia and Cahul. All services are provided free of charge for the beneficiaries and their families.
Since the launch of the “National Palliative Care Network” Project, over 700 persons benefited from palliative care, over 15,000 visits and consultations were offered, more than a thousand people received humanitarian aid in the form of stoma bags and consumables, and over 40 professionals were trained in various aspects of palliative care.
Those willing to participate can find more details and fill out the participation form at https://hospicesofhope.md/hospicebiketour. Those willing to donate or become sponsors, are asked to contact the organizers on Facebook, by email at cristina@hospicesofhope.md, or by calling +373 22 022 118 / +373 60 394 306.
