Handy Wombat team members Brenton Hands (left) and Alan Edwards with Total Tools Shepparton and Echuca's Ray Cox (centre). Photo: Supplied
By now, Handy Wombat team members should be well on their way to Innamincka in South Australia on Day 3 of their week-long Shitbox Rally journey to Townsville.
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The crew departed with hundreds of other drivers and support crew on Saturday, October 19, from Bendigo Showgrounds.
Travelling by ‘shitbox’, Echuca’s Alan Edwards and mate Brenton Hands salvaged a 2007 Toyota Aurion from Double B Metals Moama for $700, fixing it up with some help from APF Echuca, Cloverdale Motors Nanneella, Moylan’s Mobile Mechanics and Alpha Tyres Moama.
“We had to replace a few things to get it roadworthy,” Mr Edwards said.
“After that you start chasing up extra spare tyres, roof racks, then putting some fun accessories on the cars.”
Both Mr Edwards and Mr Hands have participated in the rally before, but this is their first time doing it together.
The Shitbox Rally’s main focus is on fundraising and growing awareness for the Cancer Council, with each team required to raise a minimum of $5000 to participate.
For team Handy Wombat, seeing people in their own lives face cancer makes this goal so important.
“I’ve had people in my life battle cancer,” Mr Edwards said.
“Some of them have lost the fight with it, some have survived the battle with cancer and gone into remission, which is good.
“I wanted to do that, to honour those who have passed and help raise funds for research to help other people with it.”
Since its inception in 2009 by James Freeman, who lost both of his parents to cancer within 12 months of each other, more than $50 million has been raised for the Cancer Council.
Mr Freeman highlighted the uniqueness of the rally, showing participants different pockets of the country they may otherwise never see.
“Shitbox Rally is not a race, but a reward for fundraising efforts. This is a chance to explore Australia, drawing teams from around the country to help achieve the extraordinary,” he said.
“Fourteen years and over 30 rallies in, and we are still finding new stopovers. For this rally, we have four official stopovers that we have never worked with in previous Shitbox Rallies, with three of them new to any of our rallies.
“As with every rally, I am always excited to show our participants the wonders of the places we travel through and to. The incredible experiences along the way and the challenges associated with driving a $1500 car on these remote outback tracks.
“Teams not only pull together to help each other through the challenges of the rally itself, but also help and support each other through openness, mateship and camaraderie from people that have gone through similar hardships with their own cancer stories.”
Before leaving, Mr Edwards was feeling hopeful that their revamped ‘shitbox’ will make it the full 3500km route.
There is plenty of mechanical and medical support along the way to help them arrive in one piece.
“We’re excited and pretty much ready,” he said.
“There’s always potential for issues ... we’re hoping to make it to the end.”
So far, the team has raised $6700, just $300 off its $7000 target.
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