Cycle for charity

National track cyclist Mohd Azizulhasni Awang and several of his teammates will ride on 24 September 2011 but for a different purpose. They will cycle for a charity event - Cycling for a Cure 2011 - to help raise funds for the Tabung Leukemia Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD).

The charity ride, which will take place at Dataran Putrajaya, will see Azizulhasni, Josiah Ng, Fatehah Mustapa, Mohd Edrus Mohd Yunos, Junaidi Mohd Nasir, Mohd Rizal Tisin and Mohd Hafiz taking part despite their hectic schedule. 

“We are all looking forward to participating in this event. It’s a chance for us to contribute to the community by supporting the leukemia fund. We hope this event will also create more awareness for this illness,” said Azizulhasni.

YSD Chief Executive Officer, Yatela Zainal Abidin hoped that cycling enthusiasts around the country would come and join the national track cyclists on 24 September.

“We hope that the national cyclists' participation will encourage the public to come and support this cause as well,” said Yatela, who disclosed that YSD will match ringgit-for- ringgit the funds raised during this charity cycling event.

“YSD is doing it differently this time around, by not only donating directly to the cause, but also encouraging the public to be part of the cause by donating through their participation in the cycling event,” she said.

Interested participants need to pay a participation fee of RM50 and can choose to race either in the 3.3km, 7.7km or the challenging 100.5km route that will go through various towns in Sepang, Nilai and Putrajaya.

“The 100.5km race is designed specifically for those who enjoy the grueling task of cycling such a distance,” said Datuk Naim Mohamad, Deputy President of Malaysian National Cycling Federation.

“I was pleased when YSD approached me with this idea of combining cycling with a charitable cause and we have worked hard to make this happen. We hope that the public will come and join us in this event,” he added.

To register, participants can download the form from www.yayasansimedarby.com , complete it, pay the RM50 participation fee through cash deposit machine or transfer via online banking, and fax over the completed registration form with the relevant bank-in slip and online receipt to YSD’s office.

Alternatively they can mail a cheque to YSD’s office, or bring RM50 cash and the completed form to the race during race day itself. The registration forms will also be made available at selected bicycle shops in the Klang Valley area.

Tabung Leukemia Yayasan Sime Darby was launched on 30 March 2011 by its Patron, YABhg Tun Musa Hitam, who is also the Chairman of YSD. The fund is set up to benefit leukemia patients in Malaysia who are between the ages of 13 and 72 years and who are in dire need for bone marrow transplant.

Eligible patients will be able to enjoy subsidised, comprehensive treatment at Sime Darby Medical Centre (SDMC)’s Blood Diseases Centre in Subang Jaya, Selangor.  These patients could be patients of SDMC or referral cases from other government and private hospitals.

Leukemia ranks fourth among males and fifth among females. In 2002, the Malaysian National Cancer Registry reported 580 Lymphoid Leukemia cases, which comprised 2.2 percent of the total cancer cases reported.

The disease affects both younger and older set of individuals. The cost of treatment is very high and seems to be the single biggest deterrent to treatment. Some patients are turned away as they cannot afford the cost of treatment, which averages RM80,000 for own marrow transplant and RM150,000 for sibling marrow transplant.