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| On 12 November 2011, 27 riders from Computershare offices in Australia, New Zealand, China and the UK set out on a 450km cycling challenge through Cambodia to raise money for the Sunrise Children's Village Foundation. The ride commenced in Siem Reap in Northern Cambodia and finished in Sihanoukville on the country's south-west coastline. The riders met the children at both the Siem Reap and Phnom Penh Sunrise Villages, and visited the site of the new Sunrise 3 Village due to open in June 2012. |
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After more than six months of intensive fundraising efforts and donations, the Ride Cambodia team raised AUD$156,000. These proceeds will fund a specialist medical clinic that will provide the children of Sunrise 3 (who are living with HIV/AIDS) a full range of medical and dental care to ensure they lead happy and healthy lives. The clinic will also provide care for orphaned and vulnerable children under the care of affiliated charities in the Sihanoukville district. | |
| Geraldine Cox founded the first Sunrise Children's Village in Cambodia in 1995 and the Australian charity now operates two centres, with a third – Sunrise 3 – under construction in Sihanoukville. These centres provide education, accommodation, healthcare and a real chance at life for over 200 orphaned and vulnerable Cambodian children. In 2009, Computershare pledged US$500,000 and a five-year commitment to fund operating expenses for the third centre. Money is raised through Computershare's Change a Life program – staff donations are matched by the corporation worldwide. The response has been overwhelming with many staff members committing to the project. |
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Computershare's partner in this project, New Hope For Cambodian Children (NHCC), will collaborate with the Royal Government of Cambodia to assist Cambodian children living with HIV/AIDS and their affected families. NHCC was founded in 2006 by John and Kathy Tucker, an American couple who have spent eleven years fighting the spread of paediatric AIDS in Cambodia. Computershare and Sunrise are delighted that John, Kathy and the staff of NHCC have agreed to manage and operate the new Computershare Sunrise 3 Children's Centre. | |
| The incredible success of the fundraising and the trip through Cambodia could not have taken place without the dedication of the riders and the generous support of Computershare, its staff and friends. The general sentiment of the 27 riders was that it was a privilege to be part of such an incredible journey, to see the fantastic work Geraldine and her team are doing, and to see firsthand how the Change a Life program is quite literally changing the lives of hundreds of children in Cambodia. |
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