Father and son raise funds for PNG school

A FATHER and son cycling duo from Blaxland will have help from students and community groups on Friday as they continue their mission to build a new high school in Papua New Guinea.
The Sydney International Regatta Centre will be a hive of activity for Lapping the Lake as participants churn out laps of a 5km course to raise money for construction of Mando High School.
The event is the brainchild of Michael Harriden and his son Greg, who last year raised more than A$20,000 (K38,000) for the project by riding 1,000km from Brisbane to Sydney.
“We need … to raise further funds to begin the construction,” Harriden said.
“The funds raised will support more than 500 students, desperate for education.”
Participants from five local high schools, along with community groups, will pledge to ride or walk a distance of their choosing, hoping to attract sponsorship for each kilometre they complete.
At least A$30,000 (K57,000) is needed to build what would be the first ever high school in that part of PNG.
The building project, supported by Rotary Australia, will utilise the skills and labour of the local Mando community.
“We believe that it is extremely important that the locals must play a part in the construction if they are to truly respect and take ownership of the final result,” Harriden said.
A teacher himself, Harriden said the project would benefit Mountains students.
“To have a sister school for local students to visit or perform volunteer work for would create a further social justice emphasis into our education and local communities,” he said.
Harriden and Greg have been committed to fund-raising projects to help educate kids in disadvantaged areas since a visit to war-torn Cambodia in 2008.
After forming the Ride4Kidz charity they rode 1,000km from Ballarat to Sydney, raising enough money to build two schools in Cambodia.
For information about Lapping the Lake and to donate money to the Mando High School project, visit www.ride4kidz.com.au.