TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — 51 cyclists arrived back in Taipei City Saturday (Jan. 6) after a 15-day ride around the country which collected NT$18 million (US$581,000) for families in distress.

A group of organizations has been staging the event for 19 years, but the latest edition received a record amount of donations, per CNA. The 51 cyclists left Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office Building on Dec. 23, 2023, to arrive back in the capital at Songshan Railway Station Saturday under applause from the public.

One of the organizing bodies, the Chinese Christian Relief Association (CCRA), said that many families faced the impact of inflation. Any unforeseen event, such as sudden illness or unemployment, could disrupt a family and cause it to fall apart, the CCRA said.

The money collected during the round-the-island ride would benefit the troubled households during the coming year, with distribution handled by the organizers’ “1919 service centers.” Since 2002, the group has helped more than 16,000 households in need, with NT$24,000 budgeted for each case this year.