The Gobi foundation has pledged one million dollars to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the KHMH. They are doing it all by fundraising, and every year for the past 6 years, a ride is held to focus the fundraising events. This year's ride was the most ambitious thus far: 150 miles from Punta Gorda to Belmopan - and it went all through the night. Here's more on this slightly bizarre event:..
Jules Vasquez reporting
They set out from Punta Gorda at 6:00 pm on Thursday - as dusk fell, the riders were in good spirits, including the man in the dog suit.
At the dump cutoff - the CEO in the Ministry of health waved them on and the convoy disappeared into the night.
Trailing in the blur of lights, the man in the dog suit is still there. He's Alan Gobi the organizer of this year's ride:
Dr. Peter Allen, CEO - Ministry of Health
"The group decided this year to do the longest ever cycle ride that they have done all the way from Punta Gorda, so it started off from down in PG Town at the dollar sign entrance for PG and they rode through the night, beautiful moon - people were lining the streets of the Southern Highway as they came pass all the way through the Southern Highway and they came up the Hummingbird Highway right here at Caribbean Tyres at the junction with the Western Highway at Belmopan."
We met them up the following morning at 9:30 Armenia Village - Gobi still in his dog suit looks much the worse for wear - after a night both wonderful and wearisome:
David Reimer, owner of Caribbean Tyre
"It is a wonderful experience. We had the full moon all the way. We had couple hours or an hour of rain between, but that didn't stop the reggae jam."
And the ride moved on in the morning - this time with the support of young legs rolling through the Hummingbird hills or powering up those hills.
David Reimer, owner of Caribbean Tyre
"We believe it's a very important cause that Gobi and the foundation have been go ahead and did it and we definitely want to be a part of it if it is for the children of Belize that we all seeing so much important that they have a better facility and that's why I just do it with all my heart."
And so at 11:00 am, 17 hours after they started, they pulled into Caribbean Tyre sin Belmopan, finishing the 150 mile trek - one heck of a feat, especially if you're wearing a dog outfit:
Alan Gobi, Challenge GOBI Foundation
"I went to a lot of my friends abroad and ask them if they were willing to sponsor me if I wore a dog suit for the 150 mile bike ride, obviously they all start laughing, but they all agreed to sponsor me and that's why I kept this suit for 150 miles from PG last night to this morning."
Eva Gabourel Gobi
"We love Belize and we want to help the kids of Belize and it's just something very dear to our hearts and we just imagine a day where the kids, really sick kids can be treated here in Belize instead of having to go abroad for services."
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