Committee For Lorne: A word from the Chairman – September 13, 2018

Amy’s Gran Fondo weekend has appeared to “come out of nowhere” following an extraordinary busy couple of weeks in town.

Whether it be the Festival of the Performing Arts or the local football finals, Lorne continues to provide something for everyone and this weekend is certainly no different. With over 5000 lycra clad cyclists set to descend on Lorne, we urge all visitors to visit www.amysbranfondo.org.au and familiarise themselves with scheduled road closures throughout the weekend.

The Gran Fondo is arguably Australia’s best cycling event. Catering to cyclists of all abilities, the event is held on fully closed roads in one of the most picturesque destinations in the world – the Great Ocean Road. With almost 10,000 riders taking part in the last two years, the event has established itself as one of the most popular mass participation bike rides in the country, attracting cyclists from across Australia and internationally.

The event is a UCI Gran Fondo World Championship qualifier with the 2019 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships being held in Poznan, Poland. Amy’s Gran Fondo is held in memory of Amy Gillett and conducted by the Amy Gillett Foundation. Participants raise much needed funds to help the Amy Gillet Foundation create a safe bike riding environment in Australia.

While our two wheel visitors will outnumber our local population by a ratio of about 5 to 1, I can assure you that the important event on this weekend’s calendar for the majority of locals will be the Colac and District Football League Grand Final. Following on from last weekend’s history making Preliminary Final that saw all Lorne sides take the field, I can report a 50 per cent success rate where unfortunately, our gallant juniors only just failed, whilst both reserves and seniors progressed to this weekend’s Grand Final.

In what has been a huge week for the Dolphins, Lorne’s premier ruckman, Mark “Chippy” McCormack became only the fifth player in history to win back to back the Colac and District Best and Fairest award capping a sensational week for the locals. On Saturday, our senior team take on the might of Birregurra while our reserves challenge Simpson for 2018 premiership glory – Good luck and Go Dolphins!

Mark into your diaries Friday October 5 for our next Committee for Lorne Community Luncheon at the View@ Lorne Hotel. Our guest speaker for the day will be Graeme Wilkie who will share his vision and direction for the 2020 Lorne Sculpture Biennale. To confirm your attendance please RSVP to [email protected].

Ian Stewart
Chairman – Committee for Lorne