There will shortly be an entourage of motor vehicle enthusiasts travelling through some of the fire ravaged areas of NSW and Victoria bringing a story of hope and recovery.
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They will all be participating in the HireExpress 2020 'Beyond Bitumen Rally' proudly supporting Beyond Blue.
The purpose of the rally is to raise funds and awareness of sufferers of depression and anxiety.
The message this year is particularly poignant in the wake of the disastrous bushfires that we have experienced.
The group will be flagged away in Goulburn by the CEO of Beyond Blue, Ms Georgie Harman.
As well as bringing colour and activity to town, the rally will bring much needed funds to the local communities.
Event director, Peter Fehon, estimates that the rally participants will spend up to $50,000 per night in each of the towns that will host the overnight stops.
A smaller version of the rally will revisit the same towns eight weeks later, and this will push the local cash injections well past the $60,000 mark.
The total spend over the four day event is expected to exceed $260,000.
With over 200 participants in the main event, the benefits will be significant.
Everyone will need food, refreshments, accommodation, fuel and the occasional mechanical repairs.
Local CWA and other service groups will be providing meals to the hungry and thirsty tourists.
Participants will also be looking to strike up conversations with locals and support local businesses.
Three million Australians are living with anxiety or depression and Beyond Blue is working to reduce the impact of anxiety, depression and suicide in the community by raising awareness and understanding, empowering people to seek help, and supporting recovery, management and resilience.
Beyond Blue has developed a significant array of resources to help people deal with the trauma of the fires, which can be found at https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/bushfires-and-mental-health/.
For Peter Fehon and his wife Trish, the journey is personal, having lost their 16 year old daughter, Beth, to suicide in 2005.
The cars will travel about 1,500 kms in four days, travelling through iconic regional areas including Goulburn, Braidwood, Nimmitabel, Dalgety, Jindabyne, Omeo, Dargo, Bright, Beechworth, Glenrowan, Rutherglen, Albury, Jingelic, Tumbarumba.
The rally will finish in Tumbarumba on Monday afternoon March 30.
By the end of the event, Peter and the team expect to have raised at least $400,000 for Beyond Blue.
The rally is the largest single fundraising event for Beyond Blue.
Since the event commenced in 2015, the total funds raised have already exceeded $1.3 million.
To donate to Beyond Blue pop onto this website, http://www.beyondbluefundraising.org.au/event/2020hireexpressbeyondbitumen
Where to see the rally near you:
- Thursday, March 26 from 6pm, Astor Hotel, Goulburn
- Friday, March 27 from 7am, Veolia Arena, Goulburn, then 12pm Braidwood Golf and Servicemens Club
Due to the size of the rally, it has been difficult for some people to obtain a spot.
The organisers have decided to run a repeat performance eight weeks later, from May 28 till June 1. There are still some spaces available on the May rally. For more information go to https://charitycarevents.com.au/beyond-bitumen/
