Cyclists raise over RM11,400 for strays

Yao (left) and Tham jubilating in front of the famed leaning clock tower of Teluk Intan. They cycled 170km in 13 hours to raise RM11,456 for street animals.

A FREELANCE graphic designer and lecturer cycled from Lumut, Perak to Bukit Rotan, Selangor, to raise RM11,456 for street animals.

Jon Tham and Adrian Yao who started their journey on June 24 at 6.30am, covered a total of 170 kilometres in 13 hours.

Ending their ride in Bukit Rotan, the men booked a Grab ride to a restaurant in Subang Jaya where they were treated to a celebration dinner.

“I do like dogs,” admitted Tham in reference to what had motivated him to take on the mission.

Sharing a personal story, Tham revealed he had rescued six newborn puppies before. Born during a heavy downpour, they were submerged in water and was in danger of drowning. One of the puppies is now three years old and is his neighbour’s pet.

Yao, who had only met Tham two weeks before the ride, elicited praise from Tham for refusing to give up despite physical exhaustion and three tyre punctures. 

Though the cyclists were not able to cover the 220km distance planned initially, the trip was still a personal achievement for Yao whose usual distance is only about 50 kilometres during weekend rides.

Yao had seen Tham’s posting on social media and had answered the latter’s call for a cycling buddy.

Benefitting from Tham and Yao’s efforts is AnimalCare Society Petaling Selangor who had donations channelled directly into their bank account. Donations will go towards the society’s neutering and vaccination fund.

According to society founder Chan Kah Yein, this is the fourth time Tham has volunteered to raise money for her cause.

“In 2014, Jon raised RM5,000 for us by running 50km. In 2015, he raised RM10,000 by running 68km and in 2016, he and his team raised RM500 for us at the Viper Challenge,” said Chan.

Explaining how the donation drive works, Chan likened the concept to that of a school walkathon. When Tham walks or cycles the distance, AnimalCare would announce it through their website and donors would bank in their donations. 

Since its inception 10 years ago, the society has helped more than 14,000 animals.