Ronald McDonald House Charity’s (RMHC) annual Ride for Sick Kids is hitting the road soon, set to change the lives of families across the state.
The organisation’s headquarters in Newcastle provides a “home away from home” for the loved ones of seriously-ill and injured children being treated at John Hunter Hospital.
Currently, the facility is able to host 18 families at a time, but RMHC Northern NSW CEO Ross Bingham said demand was consistently growing.
“At the moment, we turn away about six families every day of the year,” he told the Newcastle Weekly.
The charity operates programs and accommodation facilities across the state, with the John Hunter Hospital location being one of the busiest.
“We have families here from out far west to Brewarrina, down to Dubbo, the Hunter region, New England Northwest and Central Coast,” he said.
But, a key fundraising initiative is RMHC’s annual Ride for Sick Kids, which Mr Bingham has participated in since its beginning in 2004.
Now in its 21st year, cyclists are gearing up to venture all the way from Grafton to Newcastle, travelling 520 kilometres across five days.
“21 years is pretty amazing,” he said.
“When we first started, it was just an idea of riding about 100 kilometres a day, so we could make it from the outskirts of the state back to Newcastle finishing at Ronald McDonald House.
“We didn’t know how we were going to go, but it all worked.
“From then on, we’ve just grown it across that time… and it’s spread across the country.
“There are rides in Victoria, Adelaide, Brisbane, South Australia and Western Australia.
“So, that’s grown out of our ride, which began in the Hunter.”
With a fundraising goal of $250,000, Mr Bingham and the 20 other participants are primed for one of their biggest events yet.
“We’ve raised more than $4 million across the 21 years,” he said.
“And, $250,000 is equal to about 1,500 nights of accommodation at Ronald McDonald House.
“It’s all about making a difference for kids and families being here, to keep each other close the whole time while the child’s in hospital.”
Funds from this year’s ride, starting on Monday 25 August, will go towards funding the charity’s essential services.
“The Ride for Sick Kids is about running what we do,” he explained.
“The Ronald McDonald House here, the Tamworth House, a retreat in Forster with four cabins so families can have a holiday at no charge, a learning program, and three family rooms inside John Hunter and down at Gosford Hospital.
“It’s about supporting those programs.
“But, our big goal is to add another 11 units to our Ronald McDonald House in Newcastle.
“So, that would mean we could cater for every family that needs to come here from a distance to support their child.”
Mr Bingham said the project was estimated to cost $8 million and hopes construction can begin in the middle of 2026.
Donations to the Ride for Sick Kids can be made on the organisation’s website.
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