Purple and Pink Ride: Sydney to Melbourne

Just over six months ago, after attending a footy match at the MCG, I decided that I would ride from Spotless Stadium, in Sydney, to the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground), in Melbourne, to arrive in time for the 2016 AFL Grand Final. At that time, I had no real idea in mind of raising money for charity. I’ve never been to an AFL Grand Final before, and, considering the cost of the AFL Grand Final packages, I’m not likely to be going to this one, either. But it will be fun doing the ride!

As time progressed, though, and after much thought and consideration (there are so many worthy charities out there), I finally decided upon two charities to raise money for, and came up with the ‘Purple and Pink Ride’.

• Epilepsy Australia – Having suffered a few seizures myself, fundraising for this charity was a no-brainer (no pun initially intended!). Epilepsy is not very well understood by the general population, and many people freak out when witnessing one. As a result, it’s often viewed with a stigma. However, it’s more common than many people think. About 1 in 10 people, at some time in their lives, will experience a seizure. While not everyone of those people will be ultimately diagnosed with epilepsy, it’s still a considerable number. High profile people, with epilepsy, include: actor Hugo Weaving, AFL footballer Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin, and rugby league footballer Wally Lewis.
• The McGrath Foundation – My other charity of choice is the McGrath Foundation. Choosing this charity was partly due to my love of cricket. It is their vision to see all families, experiencing breast cancer, to have access to a breast care nurse, wherever they may be in Australia. And it’s not just women who get breast cancer, either. Men, also, can be diagnosed with breast cancer. It costs $380,000, for three years, to fully fund a breast care nurse. I hope to be able to help contribute to that by fundraising and raising awareness.

To make a donation to either charity (or both!), please click on the appropriate link(s). If you donate $2, or more, and you’re an Australian taxpayer, your gift is tax deductible. You will automatically be emailed a receipt for tax purposes. Donations are processed via GoFundraise.

• Epilepsy Australia – Donate link
• McGrath Foundation – Donate link

I’m hoping to make this an annual event. I already have plans in mind for a 2017 Sydney to Adelaide ride, arriving in time for The Ashes Test match at the Adelaide Oval. Hopefully it will be a day/night Test match. 🙂