Fundraising for Tŷ Hafan

the plan of my rolling

A blog was kind of originally in my plans to extend the tour with some notes, pictures, comment, whatever, but later on I decided to add an other layer to this whole story. 

I've read about many cycling, running and climbing events for charity. As a guy growing up in Serbia, this "doing something good while on holiday" was an unknown gesture for me, but it sounded very positive, similar to voluntary work but not quite the same... I thought the only way to really understand it is to try it. 

To show my thanks for this very welcoming environment in Cardiff and for the people around Wales who offered a place to stay during the coming ten days long adventure I want to support Tŷ Hafan as a local, Wales based charity.

About the charity:

Tŷ Hafan is the charity I want to help with my sponsored cycle. They offer comfort, care and support to life-limited children, young people and their families, helping them make the most of the time they have left together. 

Tŷ Hafan is not part of the health service and in 2012-13 received just under 4% statutory funding towards more than £3.5 million needed and to continue to offer its unique service to families, it relies on the generosity of the public, its corporate sponsors and volunteers. 

I was working in Café Junior, a family-friendly café during my staying in Cardiff. Besides the café's menu the most I could learn there is the importance of the love in the family and the children's need of their parents' care every minute. I couldn't imagine a cause that is closer to my experience in Cardiff. I would like to give as much as I've received from this society before I leave.

Here is my justgiving page where you can sponsor my round-trip in Wales.

https://www.justgiving.com/jozsefracz

About me:

My name is József Rácz - in Hungarian the surname goes first, so it is actually Rácz József, but I am used to having more versions of my name as I was born in Yugoslavia - three years before it fall apart, so I have a Serbian version of my name as well. Every time I introduce myself, this Serbo-Hungarian identity question takes up the most time and I still don't have a short version of it, so I am just going to skip it now!

As a cyclist I have been to most of Serbia's neighbouring countries with an organized cycling tour group, Tour de Délvidék. These events were always fun, almost party-time, for me cycling and relaxing with lots of friends - during the years most of my folks bought a bike and joined the team. This trip will be my first longer solo pedalling.

I never took cycling too seriously, like doing it as a sport, race or a super-healthy lifestyle, but it became my favorite hobby, and then an everyday thing, the main transportation in my life. For me cycling means freedom, either from a city bus or from a stinky tourist bus and not just from buses but cycling gives me that freedom-feeling that you just can't explain through any bus metaphor.

Every Hungarian kid has heard about Wales through a very famous (required reading) lay poem, The Bards of Wales by János Arany.

Last year at the time of my usual cycling tour I moved to Wales for a few months, but it ended up lasting almost a year. Now, before I leave this place I want to look/cycle around this region.