General News
29 October, 2024
Rust buckets on the road for a good cause
HUNDREDS OF cars worth less than $1500 scooted up the Loddon Valley Highway on Saturday. They were being driven in the annual Shitbox Rally, flagged off from Bendigo’s Prince of Wales Showgrounds that morning at the start of a 2400km trek to...
HUNDREDS OF cars worth less than $1500 scooted up the Loddon Valley Highway on Saturday.
They were being driven in the annual Shitbox Rally, flagged off from Bendigo’s Prince of Wales Showgrounds that morning at the start of a 2400km trek to Townsville.
Rheola’s Matt Catto and Avoca’s Todd Downie were in one of the early groups to make a pitstop in Serpentine where locals were cheering their drive raising funds for the Cancer Council.
The rally debutantes have since spent the week alternating behind the wheel of a VI Commodore that has more than 285,000km on the clock.
Matt said he had been inspired to join the rally after the loss of a friend, Paul Metcalf, with testicular cancer.
“Life’s too short and the passing of Paul touched me ... everyone is touched by the loss of a person with cancer,
“The car we are driving was donated by a survivor. It wouldn’t start when we first got it, there’s no radio. It’s a real shitbox.”
Matt said that’s when Todd stepped up. “If we didn’t have enough work to do Monday to Friday, we set about getting the car running and ready for the rally.”
“We love it that the Shitbox Rally is not a race, rather a challenge to achieve the unthinkable… To drive cars worth just $1500 across Australia on some of its most formidable roads, all in the name of charity is a great way to help others,” Matt said.
“Like everyone else in this rally we want to have an adventure, have fun, who crave something different.
“And we’re making new lifelong friends, take part in something memorable but most importantly, raising much needed money for charity.”
Shitbox rallies have been held for 14 years with more than $47 million donated to the Cancer Council.
- CHRIS EARL