Honour Luke Azzopardi by giving to support cycling safety in Australia

On 10 February 2021, our cycling community was shocked by the devastating news that Luke was tragically killed in a crash with a driver during a training ride.

At the request of Lukes family, the Amy Gillett Foundation is raising funds to remember and celebrate Luke Azzopardi and the incredible impact he had on those who knew him.

Luke was known for his love and passion, both on and off the bike. He was a former state champion cyclist and is remembered as a beloved son, brother and friend.

Fundraising in Luke's memory:

At the permission of Lukes family and the Cairns Cycling Club, AGF has proposed the following safety programs in Lukes memory. AGF seeks to work with the Cairns Cycling Club to pilot the following cycling safety programs in the Cairns region.

Cycling Safety Campaign 1:

An awareness campaign that ecourages respect and acknowledgement between drivers and cyclists.

*Fundraising target: $9,000

Cycling Safety Campaign 2:

A safety campaign to educate cyclists and drivers on safe behaviours and interactions while sharing the road.

* Fundraising target: $18,000

Safer Roads for Cairns:

A pilot program evaluating Cairns roads to improve cyclists' safety and stress levels.

*Most of the animosity between cyclists and drivers is due to poorly designed roads. Councils arent putting an adequate percentage of their transport budgets towards creating roads that are both; safe for cyclists and; give drivers sufficient space to pass safely. AGF will work with Cairns Cycling Club to pilot a program that maps and audits Cairns road network. This data will enable AGF to pressure the local council to contribute a bigger percentage of their transport budget to build roads that are safe for cyclists.

* Fundraising target: $150,000

A message from Luke's family:

As a family, we're grateful for everyone showing so much love for our son Luke. We are taking some comfort in the incredible outpouring of love for Luke and how many people he positively affected.

A lot of people have offered a donation and support. Below is a little background of how important cycling and cycling safety was for Luke. It is why we have chosen to work with the Amy Gillett Foundation to do a cycling safety fundraising campaign in Luke's memory.

Luke's passion for cycling developed before pre-school and continued into his adulthood. For Luke, the main mode of transport was his bike. It gave him independence. Being on the road daily - during his commute, training or racing - heightened his road safety awareness and bike handling skills.

When Luke was ten, his school did a survey on why so few kids cycled to school. The results showed it was because the parents thought cycling was unsafe. Luke worked with the school and the community to set up a bike training course at school. He helped secure a grant to obtain 30 bicycles so that every student could learn to ride safely and then proceeded to help build those bicycles. He encouraged the local sugar mill to build train tracks and bridges as these were of particular concern in our area. We are so proud that the program that Luke initiated is still part of the school curriculum today.

- Sue, Ian and Jasmine Azzopardi