Rakela Covers 83,000 Kilometers on His Motorcycle and Raises 330,000 Euros
At the Fishermen's Night in Dusina, humanitarian Rakela presented his campaign for the County League Against Cancer, with the goal of 120,000 euros vastly exceeded.
At the Fishermen's Night in Dusina, humanitarian Rakela presented his campaign for the County League Against Cancer, with the goal of 120,000 euros vastly exceeded.
A humanitarian campaign that started with a goal of 120,000 euros and the same number of kilometers on a motorcycle reached 330,000 euros in just eight and a half months, nearly three times the initial ambition. This is the feat of Rakela, who at the age of 50 decided to dedicate his time to raising funds for an MRI machine for the Split University Hospital Center (KBC Split). He presented the results at the Fishermen's Night in Dusina, held on August 9, 2026, at the Stinjevac picnic area.
Gathered locals and guests, enjoying food, drinks, and music by Josip Ivančić, heard figures from the stage that testify to the scale of the response. By that point, Rakela had covered 83,000 kilometers, and donations were coming in from all sides; by that evening, 154 entities had each donated over 1,000 euros. The motorcycle with a code for direct donations stood before everyone as a symbol of a journey that continues, but also as proof that the goal is no longer just a wish.
When he started, the plan was clear: 120,000 kilometers for 120,000 euros, all for the County League Against Cancer and the purchase of an MRI machine. However, the pace of donations and kilometers quickly exceeded expectations. On stage in Dusina, Rakela did not hide his satisfaction: "In my 50th year, I dedicated myself to humanitarian work to raise 120,000 euros for the County League Against Cancer, riding 120,000 kilometers on a motorcycle."
The figure of 330,000 euros, which he announced then, means the initial goal was shattered nearly threefold, and this while he still has a third of the planned route ahead of him. Every kilometer now carries weight measured not just in asphalt, but in the equipment that will arrive at the Split hospital.
The hosts from the Dusina Local Committee, who also organized the Fishermen's Night, did not just offer words of support; they donated 1,000 euros. Members of the BMW Motorcycle Club from Skopje also donated the same amount, having traveled a long way to Stinjevac that day. "They also rode all day to Dusina and also donated 1,000 euros," said Rakela, emphasizing how genuinely surprised he was by the response in that place.
"It is a great honor and pleasure that you invited me to the Fishermen's Night. I did not expect such a big event," he told the crowd, as lines for donations and raffle tickets slowly filled. The evening also had its prize side, a rich raffle where one could win an iPhone 17 with 512 GB, a television, cash prizes, gift vouchers, household appliances, prosciutto, dinner, and tickets to a Hajduk match along with a jersey.
Part of the proceeds from the Fishermen's Night was also directed toward the same goal: an MRI machine for KBC Split. The humanitarian dimension of the event was not incidental but the central thread connecting music, raffles, and donation calls. If this pace continues, 120,000 kilometers will not just be a number on the odometer; it will become a device that saves lives.
