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Tarragindi’s Darren Laarhoven Takes on Bike Challenge for a Cause

Tarragindi accountant Darren Laarhoven is ready to take on the challenge of biking from Sydney to Brisbane to raise funds for children in need.

Mr Laarhoven is a managing partner at UHY Haines Norton Brisbane and is a cycling enthusiast. When not working, he loves going on adventure trips with his wife and two teenage boys.

He will be part of the five-member team of AEIOU Foundation that will join the Chain Reaction ride for a cause on April 29. Mr Laarhoven has worked with AEIOU as their auditor for many years. In February, he was invited by AEIOU chief executive Alan Smith to join their team.

*(Photo Credit: Chain Reaction Challenge Foundation / Facebook)*

Although he’s a weekend bike cyclist, Mr Laarhoven is only used to 150-km rides per week. The more than 1000 km bike course in seven days would be a true challenge, so he has used the past weeks to prepare for the event.

He will join the AEIOU team composed of Eauan Morton, David Chiang, Terry Van der Velde, and AEIOU Chairman Dr James Morton. The team will reach Brisbane on May 5.

Bike Ride for a Cause

The Chain Reaction Challenge is an annual event that invites senior executives for the physical challenge. The event gives them valuable networking opportunities, but more importantly, they get to help sick children.

Fundraising to benefit AEIOU. *(Photo credit: AEIOU Foundation for Children with Autism / Facebook)*

Part of the proceeds from charity ride will go to the AEIOU Foundation, which provides support for children with autism.

The charity will also help fund Ronald McDonald House, a home-away-from-home for families who need a place to stay when they seek treatment for their children in a distant hospital. Families of hospitalised children can stay at a Ronald McDonald House at little or no cost.

Since it was started by Berrick Wilson in 2007, Chain Reaction has raised more than $20 million for charity partners. All in all, the group has done 21 rides across Australia and New Zealand.

The Queensland ride will be a stretch of over 1000 km, which the riders will cover from April 29 to May 5. They will have stopovers at Hunter Valley, Forster, Coffs Harbour, Grafton, Byron Bay and the Gold Coast.

Anyone can donate to the charity by heading over to the Chain Reaction website.

Photo Credit: Chain Reaction Challenge Foundation / Facebook

Tarragindi Becomes Haven for Thriving Artists

With its successful non-profit art organisation, Tarragindi has turned into a haven for creative and budding artists.

The Brisbane Visual Arts Community (BVAC) serves as an umbrella organisation for different arts and crafts groups and has become successful in helping promote and protect the survival of the arts in the Brisbane area.

Formed in 2011 as an incorporated association, the group now has around 2500 members from Brisbane and beyond.

Some of the more than 20 groups under BVAC have been active far longer than BVAC itself, with one group already 70 years old.

Stronger as One

BVAC’s initial purpose was to help save traditional craft in the community. With all the groups combined under one roof, artists get to support each other and they also enjoy the benefit of the huge membership.

The arts and crafts groups are engaged in anything, including textile arts, porcelain, jewellery, printmaking, upcycling, weaving, bookbinding, leather work and basically all types of arts and crafts.

The group sets up pop-up shops twice a year at the Mount Coot-tha Botanical Gardens Auditorium, where artists present and sell their products to the public. The events happen one week before Mother’s Day and one month before Christmas.

BVAC is based at the Wellers Hill Arts Hub at 140 Wellers Rd. They use their home for meetings and workshops. For more information on bookings and workshops, visit their website at Bvac.org.au or contact them

Get directions to Wellers Hill Arts Hub.

Lucky Escape for Man Pinned Under House in Tarragindi

A worker managed to escape serious injuries after a house fell on him while it was being moved by a truck in Tarragindi.

Emergency personnel rushed to free the 26-year-old man trapped under the house. It took about an hour for the fire crews to stabilise the house and safely remove the victim. He was taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital to receive treatment for traumatic injuries.

Mackay and Sons was moving a one-storey house on Marchant Street when the house fell on the man’s lower back as he was lying face down. His co-workers put jacks in several places before fire crews arrived to stabilise the house.

The man, who was trapped between the house and trailer truck, sustained serious pelvic injuries caused by pressure of the house collapsing on him. His condition has since improved, with one medical staff commenting that “he’s been very lucky” to escape major injuries.

Watch the clip from 7 News Brisbane.

City Council Targets Illegal Parking in Tarragindi School Zone

Wellers Hills State School in Tarragindi is among the 17 priority schools in safer schools campaign.

In a move to enhance children safety in local schools, the Brisbane City Council is cracking down on illegal parking in school zones. During the first term of 2017, parking inspectors are targeting 17 local schools, which include Wellers Hills State School at 190 Toohey Rd. in Tarragindi.

The decision was made in the midst of a disagreement between the State Government and the city council regarding the creation and maintenance of drop-off areas in local schools.

The dispute has been going on for over two years and P&C groups said that as the discussion drags on, young lives continue to be at risk every day.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said that the council’s safer school campaign will target vehicles parked illegally during peak drop off and pick up hours.

Standoff

The city council thinks that parking infrastructure around schools is mainly the responsibility of the state.

City councils have taken care of school drop-off zones since 1997, sharing funding responsibility with the state. However, in 2014, Brisbane City Council requested that the state take back ownership of 45 drop-off zones in Brisbane.

For its part, P&C Queensland affirms that politics should be set aside for the sake of school children safety.