Kicking Up Dust For Cancer Care

The four friends had a long history of taking short trips around northern New South Wales on their trail bikes. That is where the idea for the challenge began to take root, growing from a shared love of bikes, their years in the motor industry, and a friendship built on decades of teamwork.  

“The idea developed while we were sitting around a bar having a couple of schooners. And then we started talking about doing something bigger.” – Leigh 

The team wanted the trip to be more than a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. They also wanted it to do some good for someone else. 

The McGrath Foundation was KCAAA’s first and only chosen charity.  

“Sport always played a big part in and continues to play a big part in my life. I’ve always been big around team building and what sport gives you. Mateship, passion, discipline.” – Leigh 

Leigh describes himself as a mad cricketer, and so he and his mates already knew the McGrath name. But the decision to choose the McGrath Foundation was also influenced by their own experiences with cancer—personally and through loved ones. 

When Leigh’s younger sister and Martin’s wife were both diagnosed with cancer within two months of each other, Leigh talks about how it became even more real for the team. 

Their fundraiser was about helping ensure no one goes through cancer without expert care.

To get there, the ride itself required serious and meticulous preparation.

Once they were on the road, there were long days, tough terrain and very little time to stop. On some days, they covered 500 kilometres. That's the equivalent of more than 8,000 cricket pitches laid end to end—with the added challenge of corrugation, mechanical issues and sore muscles to contend with. 

Their support crew helped keep everything moving, from safety and health checks to food, gear and logistics. Being prepared helped them keep going, even when trailers broke, parts failed, and the schedule was tight.

The experience has also shaped the advice Leigh wants to now share with other fundraisers considering taking on a challenge:  

• Start preparing and organising early. 

• Build a team with complementary skills. 

• Use your networks to help plan and fundraise.  

• Make the most of the fundraising tools provided by the McGrath Foundation. 

The KCAAA team used Facebook, YouTube, posters, and their McGrath Foundation fundraising page to help spread the word. Their bikes and support cars were also covered in KCAAA stickers, with a QR code for quick and easy donations.

There has been talk of a second ride. If they go ahead, the group has a blueprint for planning, organising and fundraising ready to build on.  

Would they change anything next time around? Leigh believes they could have raised even more if they had planned extra time at their stops. Pausing longer at local pubs, service stations and community stops would have given more people the opportunity to see and hear their story and donate. 

“We could be so much better second time around, because of our education in and around what we’ve done, how we did it, and what time we no longer need to spend in some areas because we’ve done that.” – Leigh 

The team raised an incredible $40,000.

For Leigh, the key to successfully completing the challenge was choosing something the group was genuinely passionate about.  

“We were bikers. That’s what we wanted to do.” – Leigh 

Every kilometre, every conversation and every donation helped turn that passion and commitment to mateship into care for people experiencing cancer. 

That’s how the adventure of a lifetime became so much more: helping more people access the expert support of a McGrath Cancer Care Nurse.