Ride To Provide

The 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami left its mark on multiple countries surrounding the Indian Ocean, particularly India, Indonesia and Thailand.

Source: Wikipedia

The aftermath of multiple 10m high waves spilling across the densley populated coastal areas was something few of us will hopefully never personally experience; buildings swept away, farms and livestock gone in the blink of an eye, and worst of all, families ripped apart as many were killed in the sudden onslaught of mother nature’s fury.

As an Australian first responder sent in to help in the days that followed, Peter Baines was witness to one of the most heart-wrenching sights anyone could ever see: young children roaming lost, wailing in terror, and sobbing for their missing family in complete misery.

What do you do in that situation? How do you comfort a child who has lost everything in an instant? How do you help them understand?

Peter asked himself the same questions, and the answer changed everything. Within months Peter had begun the charity ‘Hand Across The Water’ with the sole aim of providing support and a home for those very children who had lost everything less than a year earlier.

Two years later the first home was built for 32 orphaned children who had been living in a tent outside a temple in Bang Muang. This was just the beginning.

Fast forward 15 years and Hands Across the Water has proudly helped provide for over 350 orphaned and disadvantaged children across Thailand, in 7 homes built and operated specifically for their care.

Source: Hands Across The Water

Hands Across the Water raises funds through a variety of events and experiences, including cycling challenges and overland treks through various regions of Thailand.

Martin and Melisa heard about this extraordinary initiative through a coaching event with Business Blueprint in 2019 and immediately decided they were in 100%!

After waiting 2 years - thanks to Covid’s lockdowns and border closures - and some intensive training at the gym, they will finally be able to join the Business Blueprint Ride in September 2022 where they will be cycling 500km over five days through the Isaan Region of northeast Thailand.  

Martin and Melissa’s fund-raising goal is $20,000, and they’re currently more than halfway there. If you’d like to support this wonderful cause, there’s still time to donate. To visit their donation page directly, click the button below…

Can you help us to help Hands Across The Water support the kids whose lives have been devastated by tragedy?