I’ll be up front, I’m not the biggest supporter of charities and causes, I’ve seen first hand how the people they usually benefit most are the administrators who run the thing, most of the money never makes it the people or the causes they claim to want to help.
Riders For Health is different. It’s a small organization where most of the money DOES make it to the people it wants to help. The other thing that I like is that it appeals to my libertarian bent in that it uses local people to build up local infrastructures in Africa, no well healed do gooders swoop in to claim accolades they don’t deserve.
One of the main people behind this organization is Randy Mamola, four times a runner up in the 500GP championship, he works tirelessly in raising awareness and getting people he knows in the motorcycle industry to donate things for the big auction they have at the “Day Of Champions” before the Donnington MotoGP race, which is hosted by our friend Toby Moody and his announcing partner Julian Ryder.
This week at the MotoGP race at Laguna Seca, they will also be doing something similar here in having an auction to raise money for the organization, calling it, “The Day Of Stars“. Have a look at Scott Jones’ write up of an auction Riders For Health did leading up to the MotoGP race at Laguna
Rather than me try to explain exactly what and how they do, Riders For Health produced this video that is quite good.
If you’d like to find out more information you can read up on them on their website www.riders.org