“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”
Albert Einstein’s words are particularly apt for the people of Lebanon – the nation reeling after a bomb blasted the city of Beirut on Tuesday 4 August at 17:55 local time.
It was an event that shattered its port and the hearts of everyone lucky enough to know the beauty of “The Paris of the Middle East”.
However, the resilience that the people of Lebanon are famed for – with thousands taking the streets in unity the day after the explosion – inspired Mazen Hanna, a child of the diaspora, to get back onto his bike – both proverbially and literally.
An avid cyclist, Mazen partnered with the Steps of Hope to launch the campaign ‘Pedals of Hope’.
Steps of Hope is an 100% not-for-profit charity organisation whose mission is to help the people of Lebanon become architects of their future and provide support to those affected by war and terrorism.
The campaign aims to raise both funds and awareness by recruiting 50 casual cyclists to get on their bike for Beirut on Sunday 16th of August at Bi-Centennial Park Sydney.
The participants will aim to offer financial support through personal sponsorship, as well as donations of $1 for every kilometre cycled (20, 50 or 100 kms respectively).
Equally importantly, the cyclists will use the distances to mark milestones coinciding with the far-reaching consequences that the explosion had – encouraging cyclists to ride “out of their comfort zone” for an insight into the challenges the people of Lebanon may be experiencing.
It is a sentiment that is particularly poignant during periods of a pandemic – where social distancing removes the possibility of physical care – and ultimately aims to provide monetary assistance, emotional support, but most importantly hope!
If the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, then a bicycle ride around the world begins with a single pedal stroke – and we would love you to come on the journey to help Lebanon rebuild and rise like a phoenix from the ashes.
