NAIROBI, Kenya May 17 – Plans for this year’s Rhino Charge are nearing completion as organisers put final touches to the 25th edition of the popular charity off road event to be held on the 1st of June.
Clerk of Course David Lowe confirmed to Capital FM sport that everything is in place.
“We are on the final countdown now, basically all logistical planning is finalized. We are continuously checking the route notes to make sure that we can get everybody there. Obviously with the rains that the country has experienced this year, roads have been badly damaged,” he stated.
He called on participants to follow the instructions and rules of the event to avoid occurrences of the past where spectators fail to heed regulations.
“We have given instructions to you for a reason and yeah we are right there, everything is on schedule and its going to be a great event.”
Secret location
Its been a tradition of the Rhino Charge every year to never reveal the location until the actual day when the competitors and spectators collect a map to guide them to the actual route.
This year is no different and the map collection point is the Brookhouse School along Nairobi’s Magadi Road starting 31st of May.
“As usual everybody is asking leading questions and trying to establish where the location is and I’m sure one or two think they know where it is. I think they will be surprised especially when they see the directions that they will have to go. I think they will be a few scratching of heads.”
With the direction being a dilemma ahead of the Charge itself Lowe was quick to add that everyone will have to be sure of the vehicle they choose to feature.
“This is a 4×4 event and with the road conditions this year, its important that people do respect that. Don’t come in a Probox. They are great they do go to incredible places and they are fantastic cars. So please make you come with a decent vehicle.”
Rubbish collection, a priority
Lowe encouraged everyone to be mindful of the environment more importantly on the issue of littering
“As the organizing committee we are the last people to leave that venue and we go around picking up plastic and rubbish that people leave behind and its disgraceful. People come to this event to raise money for the environment and yet leave it in sorry state.”
“We make a commitment to the host community that we will make sure we leave the venue in the same condition we found it. So that’s our personal commitment but it would help us considerably if everybody who came to the event could be responsible for their rubbish.”
A sorting station will be on site and Lowe said his team will be doing as much as they can to help with the clean up.
Charges
Lowe also revealed changes in entry fees.
“We will have one point of payment and we have simplified the system and we now will charge only per vehicle. So now every vehicle that enters the Rhino Charge will have to pay the appropriate fee depending of the vehicle. For example a car is Sh10,000 but the spectator’s wrist band will be issue free of charge.”
Nakumatt Holdings will have their newly introduced mini retail store to provide shopping solutions during the Rhino Charge.
The supermarket chain will afford the competing crews this year an opportunity to pre-order their shopping requirements’ including chilled or frozen items, which will be transported directly to the event location.
The 2012 edition was held in the undulating hills and rocky terrain of Il Ngwesi in Isiolo County.
Last year’s winners were Terry Childs, Patrick Garner, Anthony Childs, Robert Calder, Brenden Hill and Barny Trevalyan-Johnson. The team dubbed Braeburn Sevens Squared won in their humongous Range Rover after covering the shortest distance of 47.678km.
