Cure Kids Fiji500, supported by Mastercard
On Friday, 26 July 2024, cyclists from New Zealand and Australia embarked on a challenging 500km ride, circumnavigating Viti Levu, Fiji’s main island over four-days, to raise funds for the Cure Kids Fiji Oxygen Project. This year’s Cure Kids Fiji500 is proudly supported by Mastercard.
Since its launch in 2017, the Fiji500 bike adventure has raised over FJD 400,000. The goal for 2024 is to raise over FD 100,000, with current fundraising efforts already surpassing FJD 94,000. These donations directly support the Cure Kids Oxygen Project, which aims to supply life-saving oxygen concentrators and equipment to healthcare facilities across Fiji.
Cure Kids CEO Frances Soutter comments, “Cycling 500 kilometers is a significant endeavor, and we are immensely grateful to our dedicated cyclists for embracing this challenge and raising substantial funds to support the Cure Kids Fiji Oxygen Project. With the generous support of Mastercard and the dedication of our riders, we are surpassing our fundraising goals, which will have a profound impact on children’s health in Fiji.”
Cure Kids Fiji Oxygen Project was launched in 2016 due to the prevalence of respiratory conditions such as severe pneumonia, which are major causes of mortality among children and newborns in Fiji. Each year, over two hundred children under the age of five succumb to pneumonia and related newborn illnesses. Providing oxygen to children with severe pneumonia reduces the risk of death by 35%.
Cure Kids Board Member Reuben Tucker, who will lead the team of seventeen riders (fifteen from New Zealand and two from Australia), expressed enthusiasm about restarting the event after a pause due to COVID-19.
“Supporting the Cure Kids Oxygen Project is deeply meaningful, given its profound impact on young lives in Fiji. The return of four riders from the 2017 event underscores how special this initiative is in making a real difference, while also offering a unique opportunity to explore lesser-known parts of Fiji,” he said.
Additional Key Information:
- DAY 1: Friday 26 July – Mercure, Nadi to Duadua Resort, Rakiraki (cyclists leave Mercure at 6:30am and arrival time at Duadua Resort will be updated through social media)
- DAY 2: Saturday 27 July – Rakiraki to Novotel, Suva (cyclists leave Duadua at 6:30am and arrival time at Novotel will be updated through social media)
- DAY 3: Sunday 28 July – Novotel, Suva to Naviti Resort, Coral Coast (cyclists leave Novotel at 8am and arrival time to Naviti will be updated through social media)
- DAY 4: Monday – 29 July – Naviti Resort, Coral Coast to Mercure, Nadi (cyclists leave Naviti at 6:30am and arrival time at Mercure will be updated through social media)
About The Fiji Oxygen Project
Funds raised by the event have been vital in upscaling Cure Kids’ Fiji Oxygen Project, which aims to ensure that no child dies from lack of oxygen.
Severe pneumonia in children and severe newborn illnesses, for which oxygen is a life-saving treatment, are leading causes of death in Fiji with close to 200 children under the age of 5 dying each year.
For pneumonia, treating children with oxygen reduces death by 35%, yet many health facilities in Fiji don’t have a reliable supply.
In collaboration with the Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services and leading pediatric technical experts, Cure Kids are delivering new ways of improving the availability, affordability and clinical use of oxygen to save lives.
The project replaces oxygen cylinders in health centers – which are expensive, logistically difficult and often result in unreliable oxygen supplies – with bedside oxygen concentrators, which produce oxygen from the ambient air.
For health centers with unreliable powers supplies, a custom-designed solar power system is installed to ensure that a 24/7 supply of oxygen is available for patients who need it.
Day 0 of the Cure Kids Fiji500, supported by Mastercard – Cure Kids CEO Frances Soutter (front-third from right) pictured with the 17 amazing cyclists at Mercure Nadi on Thursday, July 25.
Day 2 of the Cure Kids Fiji500, supported by Mastercard – stopover at Korovou Hospital on Saturday, July 27 where the cyclists saw firsthand the Cure Kids purchased equipment (oxygen concentrators) being used by the facility.
Day 4 of the Cure Kids Fiji500, supported by Mastercard – cyclists stop for a group shot at Sovi Bay, Sigatoka on Sunday, July 28.