Team Herald
MARGAO: Around 145 people travelled the 40 kms trek from King’s School at Mogalli to Canaguinim in the Ride to Conquer Cancer on 55 two-wheelers and in 17 cars that had families participating in the event that was held for the third consecutive year on Sunday.
Every participant had to enroll by paying the prescribed fees and the funds collected are used exclusively for the care of cancer patients. In fact during the drive cheques were presented to a cancer patient who is studying in the King’s School and to the brother of a patient from Benaulim as the patient is hospitalized.
King’s school has adopted the paediatric cancer ward at Goa Medical College and looks after its maintenance besides also providing equipment to the children. The school has till date supported around 200 cancer patients and 72 patients received help in 2018.
At GMC there is a fixed amount that is paid towards the cost of treatment of each patient while those undergoing treatment at a private institute are reimbursed a percentage of the amount they have paid.
“Most patients find it difficult to pay for the chemotherapy and that is where we support them,” said Melvin Pereira, Chairman of the King’s School that supports cancer patients through The King’s School Cancer Patients Welfare Society.
The school has supported cancer patients aged merely 3 months to someone aged even 70 years. Following improvement in their health this year six patients will be phased out from the support system that they received for nearly 4 years.
The ‘Ride to Conquer Cancer’ was supported for the first time by the Harley Riders this year and for the first time families were also permitted to participate in cars and there were 17 families participating.
The Goan Royal Riders have participated in all the rides since they started and Jaswinder Singh Saini said it gives them immense pleasure to participate in the ride. “This is such a nobel and social cause of helping cancer patients that we had to be a part of it,” he said.
Besides the Ride to Conquer Cancer, King’s School also organises dine and dance party in the first week of December to raise funds for their cancer care programme.
