Spokes for strokes

By Kelly Yates
BERWICK’S Ryan Ford set off for a 175km ride from Narre Warren to Sale last Friday in the hope of raising funds and awareness about strokes.
The 36-year-old organised the charity bike ride after his friend Phil Gallagher suffered a stroke last year at the age of 38.
Both men, who have been friends for almost 25 years, left the City of Casey council offices in Narre Warren just after 8am, with Mr Gallagher taking to the road for almost half of the ride.
Mr Ford told the News that he was pleased with the ride despite the wet weather.
“I was comfortable I could do the distance,” he said.
“I got a flat tyre at one point and had to change my socks because they were drenched.”
All up it took Mr Ford five hours and 10 minutes to complete the ride.
Casey mayor Geoff Ablett and councillors Amanda Stapledon and Shar Balmes, Royal Melbourne Hospital neuro interventional radiologist Dr Rick Dowling, president of the Stroke Association of Victoria Paul Howells and Mr Ford’s family and friends gathered for the official wave-off.
Accompanied by a support vehicle, Mr Ford travelled through Berwick and Pakenham and made stops in Traralgon and Mr Gallagher’s home town of Warragul.
Mr Ford gathered support from the community and gained major sponsorship from Retravision Gippsland and Autobarn in Narre Warren.
He has raised more than $10,000 for the Stroke Association of Victoria, with donations still flooding in.
This was the first time the Stroke Association of Victoria had been involved in a large charity event.
Mr Howells, from the Stroke Association of Victoria, said next year they wanted to make it bigger and get more cyclists on the road.
“Some 25 per cent of strokes happen to people under the age of 55,” he said.
“And 14,000 Victorians suffer from a stroke every year.”
For details visit www.strokeassociation.com.au