By Michael Doran
In 2015, Norm Orr from Launching Place, was watching the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal on TV and in the list of country towns saw Warburton’s contribution shown as $0.
This pained him so much that he set about launching his own fundraiser, the Triple-100 Bike Ride, which has now raised more than $30,000 for the hospital. “I called it the Triple-100 because we wanted to get 100 people to ride 100 kilometres and raise $100 each, so we could get a total of $10,000,” he said.
“In the first year we got 85 riders, the second 47 and last year there were 76 but we still managed to raise $12,000. The only target we have not reached yet is the 100 riders and this is our focus this year, in addition to the $10,000 total.
The event, supported by the Warburton Advancement League, was re-named the Eastern 80 and now there are two options to choose from. Both rides start at Warburton Station and follow the rail track to either Lilydale or Seville before returning to Warburton.
“Our aims are the same but now there is an 80km and a 50km ride to give riders options. However there is no compulsion to ride those distances and people can ride to their own capabilities, we just want them to ride,” Norm said.
Each year the ride selects an ambassador and this year is it Ian Burrows, formerly of Launching Place, who is someone with extensive first-hand experience of the Royal Children’s Hospital. His mother Jane said Ian was 12 weeks old when he was first admitted and spent most of his first four and half years in the hospital.
“He had major surgery for a very rare condition when he was four and he was in and out of the Royal Children’s until he was around 13,” she said.
Registrations for the February 16 event are open at www.trybooking.com/YFVS with the option of making the $100 donation online or on the day of the event. Children aged 16 and under ride for free and every dollar raised goes directly to the Good Friday Appeal.
“This is the year to get more than 100 riders involved so we need some new people coming along, making up a group and having a great day on the Warburton Trail for a fantastic cause,” Norm said.
For more information go the the event Facebook page ‘Eastern 80’, email eastern80@hotmail.com or contact organiser Norm Orr on 0408 592504.
The ride starts from the Warburton COG Bike Cafe at 42 Station Road, Warburton at 7am.
