Sh84.2m raised in Rhino Charge charity event

By  scar Pilipili

Rhino Charge 2012 raised a record Sh84.2 million in its relentless crusade to conserve Kenya’s major water towers.

The funds shall be donated to Rhino Ark Charitable Trust, an organisation set up to help conserve Kenya’s Ecosystem.

Braeburn Sevens Squared team monstrous Range Rover car number 49 won the event covering the shortest distance of 47.678km.

The winning team members were: Terry Childs, Patrick Garner, Anthony Childs, Robert Calder, Brenden Hill and Barny Trevalyan-Johnson.

Garner was delighted to have won the event alongside his father-in-law (Terry) who is Principal of Braeburn School in Nairobi and brother-in-law (Anthony).

Garner said: “Rhino Charge is one of the toughest motor sport competitions in the world. This year’s event was tough and I’m happy to win after struggling for many years.”

This year’s Rhino Charge staged in undulating hills and rocky terrain of Il Ngwesi in Isiolo County was fully subscribed to 63 entrants.

Finished fourth

Mark Clen and Bryn Llwellyn in Range Rover finished second with a distance of 50.647km while Team Five led by Allan McKittrick and driving Range Rover Buggy came third after managing 51.599km last Saturday.

Bundu Fundi Team led by Sean Avery and driving Land Rover finished fourth after covering 54.697km and Ben Woodhams of Team 39 in Land Rover wrapped up the top five positions after the covered 56.002km.

Rhino Charge is an annual off-road rally event held in Kenya since 1989, in which the competitors have to compete on a grueling cross-country course in off-road vehicles.

The crew that go through all 13 check points in shortest time and distance are declared winners.

Competing teams of Kenyan and overseas entrants commit to scaled ‘first come, first served’ pledges of Sh1million, Sh750,000 and Sh500,000 but most of them raise more than their minimum pledge.

The highest sponsorship honours in this year’s event once again went to Allan McKittrick-led Team 5 who raised Sh10.2million.

Shortest time

But the amount was Sh1.3 million less than the astonishing Sh11.5 million figure McKittrick and company fund-raised last year.

The event lived up to its billing as the toughest with only 15 out of the 63 entrants managing to go through all 13 check points.

Motorsports veteran Ian Duncan survived two scary rolls at the gauntlet to continue with the Charge creating excitement amongst hundreds of fans who defied extreme weather conditions to cheer on all crew members.

Despite wasting close to one hour with mechanics servicing his damaged Toyota Land Cruiser after it rolled down a cliff, Duncan team christened KTM Cruisers finished 20th overall covering a distance of 57.402km.

He concurred that the event was equally challenging as he said: “The Rhino Charge is very challenging with dangerous places and people have to be clever to manoeuver through.” he said.