Charity TeamLYVEN raised over $13,500 following the weekend fundraiser for the Carrie’s Beanies 4 Brain Cancer foundation with their Ride and Drive Day.
Kilmore resident Mick Galea has stage four brain cancer, and he is part of a clinical trial that is stopping the progression in its tracks. He was diagnosed in February 2023, and Mr Galea said that the fundraising would help the research team find a cure.
“[The trial finishes] up on December 3, then I go on active surveillance and scans every three months, and if everything stays stable, which it has been, they are happy to monitor me,” he said.
Wife, mother, and Broadford-based osteopath Nikkia Galea devotes all her spare time to fundraising, and said the public Ride and Drive charity event attracted around 100 participants.
Around 40 motorcycles and 10 cars cruised behind Mr Galea—who was dinking his daughter on his motorcycle—along a scenic drive that started at Bulla’s Black Horse Hotel and finished after a rest stop at the Flowerdale Hotel. The convoy arrived at the Magpie and Stump Hotel in Wandong for lunch and an afternoon of fundraising and company.
Mr Galea said it was a huge success, and he was blown away by the community’s generosity.
“We were blown away by the number of people. The people that came on the weekend made the day,” he said.
“We had people come from Mount Gambier, Hastings, Drouin, to come and support and share their stories.”
The silent auction and $20 donation from participants alone helped raise an extra $5000 for TeamLYVEN.
An air conditioner was donated by Air Fusion, and then a volunteer on the day stepped forward to offer a free install. Kilmore Mitre 10 donated a five-seater wicker lounge setting, and Wheel House Bikes donated a bike to the value of $700, while 4×4 Extras Kilmore donated a $500 voucher which was bought at the silent auction for $650.
“There is no cure at the moment, and without the fundraisers and the vital research that is needed, it’s not available and that’s why we’re doing [fundraising]. Thank you to the local businesses that contributed,” Mr Galea said.
Another Charity Ride and Drive Day will be organised for next year, and in between, Ms Galea hopes TeamLYVEN can reach $15,000 for brain cancer research by running in the Elders Point to Pinnacle and Brooks Point to Pub 2024 Marathon on Sunday, November 17.
For more information, call Nikkia Galea on 0410 658 136. To donate, visit www.bit.ly/3zllzpH.
